An Oath to Break
by pseudonym08
Summary: #4: Natsume Hyuuga was the only son of a strong king in the Hyuuga Kingdom. However, he wanted to serve his empire by being a knight, which his grandpa and his father strongly disagreed upon. Everything began to change the moment he vanished in the middle of a battle, leading him to an unexpected adventure of discovering secrets and breaking his oath for the sake of his love. AU
1. In the Midst of Twilight

Specially dedicated to everyone at AoGA. I do not own Gakuen Alice.

This fiction is a result of a spontaneous inspiration that sparked from reading various fictions and watching different animes. And I'd like to thank my History teacher too for unconsciously giving me the whole basis for this plot.

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**AN OATH TO BREAK**

By pseudonym08

SUMMARY: Natsume Hyuuga was the only son of a strong king in the Hyuuga Kingdom. However, he wanted to serve his empire by being a knight, which his grandpa, the emperor, and his father strongly disagreed upon. Despite that, he pushed on, promising his family he'll never neglect his duties as prince when his time comes. Their place were both happy and peaceful, but everything turned upside down the moment he vanished in the middle of a battle, leading him to an unexpected adventure of discovering secrets and breaking his oath for the sake of his desire… and love.

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**Chapter One | **_**In the Midst of Twilight**_

Natsume Hyuuga

In the middle of the feudal era, one kingdom from the north stood strong and powerful, unconquerable by the other kingdoms within the world known as Alice. It was said to be a kingdom full of strapping warriors and diligent merchants. Within its strong walls, people converse and do their tasks freely and peacefully. The land was fertile and the air was clean, and the people living in that place were proud for it, proud for their skills, their resources and their leaders. That kingdom every other kingdom dared not challenge was known to be as the Hyuuga Kingdom.

Legend says that the reason for their power was the spirit of the fire bird Phoenix. Long ago, the founder of the Kingdom, Ryohei Hyuuga, made a pact and became a contractor of the fire spirit, making most of the people living there a wielder of fire. Besides being famous in exercising flame abilities, one of the four elements, the Phoenix bird was also a symbol for sky. Being so, the empire was also said to be blessed by six other guardians of the heavens –cloud, mist, rain, storm, sun and thunder.

It was rumored that being protected by so, which was represented by rings, the estate became invincible. The kingdom was actually originally known as the Kingdom of the Fire Bird Phoenix, owing their thanks to the spirit. It's a long name, yes, of which a lot of people had disagreed upon. Thus, it was renamed years later into what people now know as the Hyuuga Kingdom, from their ancestral king.

As time passed by, the successor of each generation had successfully maintained the pride and name of the place. None dared send a challenge to them. It was also fine for them. After all, they really didn't care about the businesses of others, nor were they blood seeking prideful people who needlessly go into battles to deem themselves worthy. As long as you don't impose a threat, you might even become a dear friend of theirs.

All was well, especially after the birth of the 20th Hyuuga successor, to whom a great prophecy was bestowed.

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**SEVENTEEN YEARS AFTER**

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"Hey, Natsume, wake up," a certain blond boy with deep cerulean eyes stated, shaking the sleeping raven known as Natsume.

"Stop shaking me, Ruka, or I'll burn you to crisp," Natsume replied. He didn't move. But even with his back facing the person, a deadly aura was already emitting. Something you wouldn't dare trigger further. His voice was nonchalant and filled with authority and power. The other lad merely gave a mischievous smirk, bold enough to provoke his best friend.

"I know you'd never do that," Ruka answered. There was a hint of sarcasm and audaciousness in his voice. Nonetheless, he stopped the shaking, knowing full-well it would just lead to nothing. Being familiar with his always-out-of-the-mood crimson-eyed best friend, Ruka also knew that telling Natsume once was already enough to wake him up.

"You woke up late again, Natsume. If sensei finds out about this, he'd punish you to death," the blond boy added, signaling him to just get up already. Natsume got what he meant. And with a grudging sigh, he finally sat up on his bed. His eyes, emotionless and challenging, looked past those blue orbs of the other lad. He let out his famous "tch" before getting up.

"Wait for me outside." It wasn't a request. It was an order. Ruka just nodded before exiting his room, waiting outside like he normally does.

Seventeen years had passed and nothing much had changed regarding a man named Natsume. Although he, as well as himself, had finally grew accustomed living as an ordinary citizen, Natsume's demeanor hadn't changed a bit. The way he walked and ruled the streets, and looked at the others still made the people cower and think of him as something superior; and superior in a way that could rival a royal's position.

But no one could blame them. After all, no one has ever seen the face of the Kingdom's prince. Those who saw him were only those prominent people allowed to enter the castle. And all the rest had only heard news about him from those privileged enough to see him. That their prince was actually a rebellious but gorgeous young lad. And that too many times had he attempted to escape the walls of the castle, but the facilities were said to be so advanced that most of the times he'd fail.

The public had unquestioningly accepted the fact that he was mysteriously kept inside the palace for safety purposes, homeschooled and hometrained by no less than masters of different fields.

But of course, those were just rumors circulated from the royalty itself –to hide from the community the truth that their prince was actually just in front of them, walking the very streets they stood.

"Ruka." And with that same cold tone of a voice that hints authority and power.

Ruka hadn't noticed he had spaced out for quite too long. His best friend had finally exited his own ordinary house and was already heading towards the training fields. He quickly followed beside him.

"Hey, Natsume," Ruka surprisingly began, breaking the ominous silence between them.

It was unusual since they don't commonly talk until the start of the daily lesson, agreeing to criticize the stupid teachings which don't actually teach them anything. But of course, that opinion was merely between the two of them, considering that their standards would be extremely high due to their advanced skills.

"Three months from now and you'd have to fulfill what you promised to the king," he added.

"There's no reason to worry about that, Ruka. I don't intend to run away from it. Knowing that old man, he'd hunt even the depths of the underworld just to find me. Tch. Troublesome old geezer," Natsume coolly replied, both hands inside his pockets. Ruka ignored the replies. Instead, his eyes were focused on Natsume's hands buried inside the pockets. Ever since last week, Natsume's hands were hidden in pockets, more frequent than usual. And the blond lad seemed to have the slightest idea why.

"Why do you have to hide your ring? By the way, have you decided who'd be your guardians, Natsume?" The crimson-eyed lad stopped in his tracks. His blood red lips formed into a playful smirk.

"I'd take that as an invitation, Ruka," said Natsume. His voice was teasing, as if trying to trap Ruka if it can.

"Eh? I don't intend to be a guardian, Natsume. But, as your best friend, I planned to protect you."

"Tch. You're easy to read as always," with that, Natsume continued walking. The two were back in their silence until they had reached the place.

.

When both reached the combat field, some were seated at the ground, a downright expression etched in their faces. Others, on the other hand, continued their practicing. Beads of sweat trickled down their faces. But despite the exhaustion, they still had that face of excitement, as if what had mysteriously happened was what they were waiting for –what they were all training for. Persona, their combat teacher, was nowhere to be found. That must've been the reason of the others sad expressions.

Having no one else to approach, the two lads decided to speak to Tsubasa. Tsubasa was, well, their senpai for two years, ordained about three years ago as knight due to his expertise in sword fighting. He was, according to both, the only knight who wasn't at least amateur with his role. Quite unusual Natsume didn't call Tsubasa stupid.

"Yo! Tsubasa, where's Persona?" Ruka asked.

A certain blue-haired teenager turned about, right hand holding a katana, upon hearing his name made mention. He was one of the people huddled in a group, a group of serious knights discussing about some serious matter. But besides Tsubasa, another lad of long black hair also turned towards their direction, aka Akira Tonouchi. Noticing Ruka and Natsume, Tsubasa and Akira started approaching the two. The latter's presence was much to Natsume's irritation.

"Prince," Akira acknowledged with a rather idiotic look, making Natsume glare at him. He never cared about the glares though, as if it wasn't enough to scare him.

"Ahahaha! Still playing the prince-commoner game, huh?" Tsubasa butted in, somewhat a carefree smile momentarily replaced his previous look of agitation. The three's sweat dropped. _He still doesn't get it. _They all thought. But, oh well, no one could actually blame him, nor the others. After all, what all the people knew was that Kawazaki Natsume was one of the best knights ever ordained. No more and nothing less.

"Where's Persona?" Natsume questioned, obscurely trying to press on a more important topic.

"You didn't know? All the guardians were called by the king," Akira replied.

"Is it about the coronation?" Ruka asked further, pointing out the fact that the coronation of a new heir was fast approaching. Thus, preparations were needed to be done –as well as the people appropriate to protect the successor and serve as guardians.

"No, it doesn't seem to be the only reason. Rumor has it that another kingdom had challenged ours," Tsubasa answered in a more serious tone, completely dismissing Ruka's opinions.

"Then let them come to us," Natsume unemotionally uttered.

"It isn't as easy as that, Natsume. The kingdom who challenged us was the strong rival of fire, the Kingdom of the Water Serpent. With the coronation coming, the timing was just right for them to attack and so, it got the royalties agitated," Tsubasa said.

"Those bastards! After what we did to them, this is how they'll repay us," Akira stated in pure disdain.

"So, they're worried that something bad might happen that will probably stop the succession?" Ruka asked. Tsubasa nodded, ignoring the fuming Akira.

"I guess the king decided to call the guardians to talk about this matter. After all, Persona is indeed the guardian of the mist," Tsubasa added.

"Don't worry, prince, I will protect you even if it cost me my life," Akira stated with pride and exaggeration, taking out his well-hidden poisonous daggers before showing it off.

"Hai, hai," Tsubasa supported, already in his untroubled expression. _He doesn't get it at all! _Ruka thought, at the same time amused by the two.

After an hour or so of, in their case, doing nothing, a shadow finally appeared from the east. At first, people thought it was their teacher, Persona. But as the person came nearer, it was much to their disappointment; blond hair and blue eyes, someone who was a complete stranger to them. Though, the knight's first impression would likely be… _Ruka's father_, which was completely incorrect. They probably did the contrasting through physical attributes. After all, they all haven't seen Ruka's real father, plus the fact that the newly-arrived stranger and Ruka both have the same hair and eye color.

However, being knights, they disciplined themselves. Some went down their horses. Others stopped their sword training. And all resumed to their usual lines, thinking that the stranger was of the same status as their teacher. Indeed, he was and they were right. The evidence was one of the rings on his right hand, a ring that symbolized the guardian of the clouds.

"Good morning, minna-san," the stranger greeted quite cheerfully, something none could've expected from a guardian. After all, the only guardian the knights have met before the stranger was Persona –a terribly deadly and serious person. From there, everyone thought guardians were someone serious and to be feared of. Their hypothesis were said to be true until now, when they didn't feel any evil intent from the new guy.

"Sorry to have bothered you but your master has more important businesses to attend to. Therefore, the job of preparing all of you was passed on to me, as direct instructions from the king. By the way, I'm Narumi Anjo, guardian of the cloud. I'm pleased to meet the knights," the guy known as Narumi gleefully introduced. Everyone's sweat dropped.

"We have roughly ten hours to prepare. So… let's get going, shall we?"

The very moment he finished speaking, everyone was ready to mount their horses and or sharpen their bows and arrows. Most likely, each of them was in a state of both excitement and pressure. But, of course, that excludes four of the rather more confident knights. Much to their surprise though, Narumi called them and commanded them to stop. Immediately, they abandoned what they were currently doing and paused to hear further instructions.

Unexpectedly, they were ordered to sit down and meditate. Though a lot were against this technique, thinking of it as an absurd training, none dare raise his voice to Narumi.

"Hey, Naru, is this even training to you?" Akira Tonouchi finally got up and opposed. Well, guess not all has that fear or discipline to not raise his voice and question authority.

"Sit down, Akira. Meditating allows your body to rest. In return, the cells of your body would be given some time to heal themselves and prepare you into battle. When you concentrate and permit your body to rest, you'd be able to gather all of your strength and focus your chi. Think where you'd probably get that energy, the source of fire –the sun. For these past few years, all you do is train. Right now, your training is to not train."

Though it was against his will, Akira was forced to sit down. He looked at Natsume for confirmation. But the lad didn't acknowledge him. So, he was left with no choice. Thus, the day went on with them on meditation.

By the time the clock stroke seven, Natsume was already clad in his silver armor. Beneath it was a uniform of color red, with the patch of the kingdom's symbol on his shoulder, a symbol of his knighthood. Underneath the full moon, his red eyes glowed. But despite that glow, it was still dull –devoid from emotion, but filled with so much power. When he felt he had already brought with him the necessary materials, he was about to go out of his house. But a shadow that stood on his door stopped him from advancing.

"Natsume, the king told me you don't have to join this battle. Losing you would be the loss of the kingdom. You carry the future of this empire, you know."

"You seemed to have no faith in me, Naru," Natsume responded, stopping just in front of Narumi's figure. The guardian, on the other hand, was taken aback by his words.

"If I quit now, people might seem to think I have no courage. I would lose both their faith and trust in me," he added, before he walked away.

_Still arrogant as ever… _Narumi thought with a smirk, his hands folded as he looked up at the serene night.

.

It was a knight's duty to offer military services to the king, in exchange of the land the king had given him. As a sign of this loyalty, the knight was given the oath of fealty, sworn in evidence to his allegiance with his lord. Anyone who breaks this oath without any special circumstances was said to be a traitor. A knight had sworn his life on it, and he must keep it. That's just the law of the middle age era of this country, Alice. It's a knight's duty to fight and protect the king, and the manor this lord rules at the same time.

By eight, everyone was gathered near the big gates of the kingdom, all mounted in their own stallions. They were all ready in their positions, swords pulled out from its scabbard. Its blade shone against the light of the moon. Team alpha was already on patrol, monitoring the area within a certain radius. The rest of the group remained dormant, waiting for the stirring of the night. Narumi stayed as far away from the group as possible, strategically planning something when the going gets tough. His eyes were ever watchful.

After half an hour of waiting, a single horse had finally come back. But what rode on it was something they least expect. For the captain… was already _dead_. As the distant smoke began to clear, shadows of hundreds of horse warriors were seen. Natsume's eyes beneath his helmet formed to slits, his hands reaching to his more trusted weapon besides the sword. _So, this is my fight, huh?_

On the middle of it all, however, Narumi felt something strong and dangerous. It's as if there's just something he couldn't lay a finger on. Though looking ahead, the enemy was still at a great distance, he somehow sensed that they were quite near. It's strange, but something he couldn't definitely just ignore. Something's certainly not right!

Natsume's expressions were rather unknown. Being the leader of team beta, with Ruka as his right hand, he ordered the knights on his team to move forward, raising his sword in the process. Soon, his horse began advancing, and so as his team. "Natsume, stop!" Narumi tried to call him. But he wasn't listening, and the pounding of the horses seemed to have wiped out the sound too. Natsume kept moving forward with his sword glowing fiery red, along with the ring on his hand, as if synchronizing with him. However, no one besides Ruka noticed this glow. All were focus on the battle ahead of them, as the enemy advanced towards them. Still, the distance between them was great.

Nonetheless, in the middle of their advancement, Ruka had finally sensed it –something odd. He wanted to tell it to Natsume but he never listened. After all, it was also something Ruka was uncertain of. It wasn't just when a reflection of light passed ahead of them that he finally concluded his instincts were right. But everything was already too late.

"Natsume!"

.

As a raven haired lad half-opened his eyes, all he saw was a blur, a smudge version of an image. He could make out a face with brunette hair. But at some point he wasn't sure. He tried to move his body but a person stopped him from doing so. "Rest," a voice uttered. There and then, he was sure that the person was a woman before he finally passed out.

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Anyway, _**please review and add**_. I accept constructive criticisms. It would really help a lot.


	2. Caring an Arrogant Bastard

I've added a few details this time. Feel free to go over them.

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**AN OATH TO BREAK**

By pseudonym08

SUMMARY: Mikan Sakura was an ordinary citizen of the Water Kingdom. Nonetheless, she was famous in their village for her gentleness, recklessness and carefree attitude. Mikan lived with her best friend at an average house since her parents was said to have died since she was very young. It was not until her pre-teenage years when certain people discovered her ability to heal, a unique water ability. She doesn't seem to care about it though, besides that it gave her one reason to help people. But her happy-go-lucky life had a 360 degree turn after helping a stranger, catching her in a tangled web of secrets, rivalries, loyalties and love.

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**Chapter Two | **_**Caring an Arrogant Bastard**_

It was dawn the moment the battlefield was cleared. Hundreds of dead soldiers were seen lying on the very ground, with their blood splattered all over it. Most were Serpent Soldiers. And although the Phoenixes had yet again defeated the enemy, it was clear to them this time that they had lost.

"Found anything, Ruka?" Persona asked.

"No," the boy replied after some time. He had a worried and saddened expression, like some of them who knew, as he bent down and examined a dead soldier's face. _Just where the heck are you, Natsume? _He silently asked in his head, praying at the same time for his friend's safety.

After the battle, five of the guardians, as well as some of the more gifted knights, were actually called for the sake of finding a missing comrade. Natsume. And although others knew not of the real reason, they just followed what the upperclass had asked them to do without further questions. After all, Natsume was indeed one of the upper best knights of the kingdom. Losing him would be such a loss.

"Prince Natsume!" Akira Tonouchi yelled as he burst into tears right after. His hand tightly held the collar of some fallen soldier. Some simply ignored him, being accustomed of him calling Natsume prince and sometimes getting too emotional, somewhat like a crybaby, for no particular reason at all. However, others who have regarded this matter of considerable importance froze in their place, shocked and scared at the same time.

Ruka was the first to recover. He immediately went over to where Akira was, scared that the person the latter might be holding was Natsume. However, midway, Ruka saw Akira took out his dagger before stabbing the already dead warrior.

"Where are you, Prince Natsume?" Akira went on, unleashing his frustration at the poor corpse. Ruka stopped and heaved a sigh of relief. Realizing that it wasn't Natsume, he felt comforted somehow. For some reason, he had a feeling that Natsume was still alive. Though, as to where he is and what situation he is in, Ruka couldn't tell.

"Persona, over here," a certain deep and serious voice broke the serenity of the morn. Ruka turned to where Tsubasa was, which was farther from where most were stationed.

The man called for immediately responded to the caller. He came to him, followed by the other four. Ruka felt compelled to come over as well. The moment they reached Tsubasa crouching on a certain area, they saw him holding on to something as if examining the unknown object. They all leaned forward.

"Is this a joke? Maybe it's just fake!" Tsubasa commented, laughing upon himself as he looked at the others and showed them the item.

Upon seeing it, some gasped. Other's sweat dropped, not because of Tsubasa's ignorance but because of fear and dread. _This confirms everything. _They thought –those others who knew of Natsume's real identity. On the other hand, those who don't were merely left staring at each other, trying to understand the current situation by reading the expression of others.

But Persona and the rest, being professional with their jobs, were able to maintain their emotionless façade, making it harder for the unaware group to further comprehend the case.

And amidst this silent uproar and confusion, a man in his mid-30s with chocolate-brown hair and circular-rimmed glasses stepped forward. Despite the rather comical presence of a frog on his left shoulder, he had an air of professionalism and seriousness surrounding about him. As Ruka turned to look at his hands, there in his right middle finger was a silver band with a lightning bolt symbol engraved on it.

Jinno was the one who broke this momentary shock. He took the item from Tsubasa's grasp. "I'll be keeping this," he said. Then, he turned towards the others and motioned for them to leave.

"We need to report this to the King immediately. The boy… he might know what _really _happened."

Everyone agreed, despite some knowing so little of what was happening. But either way, whatever the case may be, the king had the right to know so that certain procedures and other measures would soon be accounted. They all simply nodded and went off, leaving more confusion to the crowd left behind. In Jinno's hand was undoubtedly the Hyuuga Sky Ring, symbol of the kingdom's power –Natsume's ring.

.

Mikan Sakura

By the time the sun rose up in the sky, Mikan was already done cooking breakfast and gathering the herbs for her wounded patient. She was up for the past three nights, tending to him and making sure his fever had died down. But instead of feeling tired, she actually felt excited. For the first time, she finally had a formal patient to tend to and not some fake ones like in the academy. The moment she brought him inside the hut, she realized that he was in a condition far worse than what she thought; and it made her proud to think that she had saved him.

_It has been a while_. She smiled.

She stood up from the small chair she just sat. She took one cloth and hanged it at the clothesline. After boiling the herbs, Mikan had decided to do the laundry while waiting for him to wake up. The clothes of her patient were rather the more difficult one to clean up. Besides that it's made out of thick fabric and was heavy, the dried blood was almost impossible to remove. After more than an hour of patiently dealing with it, she finally managed to get rid of it somehow.

After hanging one, she stretched out her arms and breathed in the fresh air.

Yes, it has been a while indeed.

It has been seven years since her ability was discovered –since the time she tested the real extent of her power. She was nine by then, with no permanent place to call home. She traveled a lot depending upon where her foster family lived. One time, while living with one, she made friends with her neighbor's son who happened to own a puppy. While playing catch, the ball rolled towards the street where a supply wagon was fast approaching. The moment the puppy got it was also the time the speeding vehicle slammed on to it. Right after, out of a sudden, Mikan came to it and brought the puppy back to life.

For Mikan, it was just a simple trick. It happened so sudden that it seemed unbelievable. Nonetheless, due to it, she was forced to study at the academy. Healing was considered a unique and rare gift given only to a few. Thus, it was a necessity for her to attend –to hone her skills and at the same time, improve some of her other abilities.

However, she later found out that it wasn't merely for self-improvement that she was forced to attend Alice Academy. She needed to be there for the officials to easily monitor her skills and her condition –her _motives_. It came upon her that, following the discovery of her alice, she was already considered a threat to the National Security. Because of it, Mikan Sakura wasn't allowed to heal a person having real illnesses inside the academy.

Yes, although being an alice medic sounds simple and of great importance, it can be very crucial as well. It could sometimes lead to the destruction of the person if misused. It's a double-edged sword. It can help. At the same time, it can kill. People do not want to risk finding out whether it's one or the other.

To make it short, they do not trust her. Well, at least not completely. This was due to a certain case in the past –the reason why the Hibari Kingdom wasn't able to keep its unique and powerful heritage.

Long ago, the 18th successor was killed by a medic who wielded that same power Mikan has. It was said that she had somehow abused the king's trust and tricked him. Ever since, though alice medics are still regarded special and important, people no longer trust them… until their number started decreasing. To this time, Mikan Sakura _is_ the only known person possessing the power of healing.

"Mou, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't trust me anymore! That was the past!" Mikan complained, yelling to no one in particular. She took the last clothespin and secured the laundry hanging in the clothesline.

Mikan sighed.

Somehow, every time she would remember and realize all those, she couldn't help but be angry and at the same time pity herself. Even after she graduated the academy and had her license as an alice medic, no one would visit her for medication. People would prefer going to hospitals where they are treated manually. By manual meant no use of healing magic.

_There is no point then. What's the use of this ability when no one is there to use it for? _She would sometimes ask herself.

As she held on to the white cloth, her gaze directed downwards and her mind wandered beyond the square-shaped fabric right in front of her. It wasn't until she heard the wooden door slid open that she began to realize she had spaced out long enough.

She turned around.

Crimson eyes clashed with hazel ones.

In front of her, a few steps away and standing just beside the door, was a half-naked gorgeous young man with raven hair and crimson eyes –her _patient_. His shirt was removed by Mikan herself since it was practically covered with blood. Plus, it was also a necessary thing to do for her to stitch up some of his open wounds. Thus, he was left with only his pants on.

Though most of his upper body was covered with bandages, Mikan couldn't resist noticing the leanness of his figure and how the strapping had perfectly showed off the contour of his body. He raised an eyebrow, breaking Mikan's stare and sending her back to her senses. Her face began to heat up. _How long had she stared at him?_

.

It was in the middle of the battle when Mikan took him. He was lying on the ground, unconscious, with blood all over him. At first glance, Mikan thought that it was a hopeless case. She would've left him there and then, and looked for some other wounded soldier instead. However, closer observations made her notice the rise and fall of his chest. She knew then that there was still hope left.

After she removed his helmet and cleaned him up, she was taken aback by the sight that greeted her. She admitted that the guy was indeed handsome. His striking appearance was clearly shown the moment all the dirt was removed. And unlike the knights of the Hibari kingdom she knew, his sleeping face looked so peaceful despite his rather strong build and powerful authority. His serene features could almost make an onlooker think twice if indeed he is a knight or not.

_Are Hyuugan knights really as handsome as the rumors said they were? _Mikan thought, remembering the gossips of the girls she heard back in town.

She stared at him. Her right hand held the wet towel before she used it to clean the remaining dirt left. As Mikan looked at him, she felt that this man was not just any ordinary knight. He had the vibe of a leader –a very strong one. But of why he fell, she can't fully explain; since she was not there to witness. But Mikan was quite sure that it was not just because of carelessness.

For the past three days he was unconscious, Mikan was the one who healed and took care of him. And she thought that by being forced to observe him day and night was already enough for her to get used to his godly features.

But she never expected that having him look at her could give off something more.

And… "You're awake!" was the stupidest thing she could only think of to say.

He did not reply and simply looked at her.

Mikan didn't know what to do next. To avoid staring at him and to keep herself busy, she resorted into arranging the things she used for the laundry instead. As she stacked the pails, she heard him ask.

"Where are we? What kind of sorcery did you use to abduct me?" His voice was cold, and empty, and with a little bit of sarcasm in it. It was deep but not hoarse. However, it wasn't the tone of his voice that Mikan first noticed. Rather, it was the implication of his words. She scoffed. _Now I'm a witch? _She turned to have a better look at him.

"For your information, mister, I did not abduct you! In fact, I rescued you and helped you clean up," answered Mikan as she did some last-minute clean-up.

"So you were taking advantage of me then," monotonously replied her patient. She wasn't sure if it was a statement or a question. But it sure was enough for Mikan to turn red.

"I did not!" she defensively replied. When she did not receive any answer, besides the raise of his right eyebrow, she got irritated, "Fine! If I knew you were that ungrateful of a jerk, I should've left you to rot in the battlefield. I should've left you to die. And by the way, if you are curious as to where you are, we're at the boundary. There! Satisfied?" Mikan fumed.

"No need to be overly defensive, little girl. It was just a simple question," was the only thing he said. He yawned before he entered the house once again. His expression and his voice completely contradicting the possible light humor his words could've implied.

_Ungrateful jerk! Arrogant bastard! _Mikan cursed as she took some dried clothes and followed him inside.

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_**Please review and/ add**_. I accept constructive criticisms.


	3. Doubting the Doctor

**AN OATH TO BREAK**

By pseudonym08

SUMMARY: Ruka Nogi was the best friend of Natsume Hyuuga, sent to live as an ordinary citizen to accompany the prince. Besides accompanying, it was also his personal duty to protect him and make sure that no one besides him would be able to know the secret of Natsume's real identity. As his best friend, he acted as a controller of Natsume's recklessness and made sure that he takes good care of himself. The first time Ruka was offered with the position of being a guardian, he declined, assuring the king that he was already contented being the prince's best friend and protecting him from a distance. However, Ruka never anticipated that Natsume's sudden disappearance would signal the start of something big… something that would lead him to question his own loyalty to the oath he had sworn _a long time ago_.

* * *

**Chapter Three | **_**Doubting the Doctor**_

Natsume Hyuuga

The moment Natsume Hyuuga woke up, he felt pain and nauseous. The smell of herbs made him want to vomit. It had the effect of lulling him to sleep as well. For a brief while, he was indeed almost tempted to rest and close his eyes despite the unpleasant feeling. Nevertheless, the unfamiliarity of the place gave him the strength to resist and the initiative to get up.

He fought the pain he felt and forced himself to sit up in a very unfamiliar bed. As he left the comforts of the pillow however, he suddenly felt dizzy. His muscles ached and his vision blurred. He had no choice but to clutch his head and pause for a while. At the same time, it gave him some time to assess the place he was at.

For one, Natsume was sure that he was not in one of the infirmaries back in the kingdom. The bed where he sat wasn't even close to the comfy sheets the hospitals were sure to have. This one was hard. The sheet was so thin that his aching back would scream from the hardness of the wooden bed. It wouldn't give comfort to a patient _at all_! It would just worsen the condition.

Other than that, as he turned to look at the surroundings, he realized that it didn't look like a hospital. Not even the slightest bit. Its size and its interior arrangements weren't even close to that of a private clinic.

The place was quite simple, he noticed. It looked more like a small house belonging to someone who likely practiced medicine. There were no room divisions. No weird and mysterious locked rooms. Natsume could clearly see where the kitchen was, or the sliding door that probably led outside. Slowly, he tried to straighten his back. But his body won't allow him to.

He scanned the place and found a small porcelain mug beside his bed, on top of a small wooden desk. It was half-filled with golden brown liquid, with few green streaks in it, probably from the leaves of the plant used. The contents were still hot. And Natsume realized that it was where the herbal aroma came from –his medicine.

He stretched out his hand and slowly reached for the antidote. He had no idea of what it would taste, and he was not the slightest bit interested in finding it out. He really didn't want to. However, circumstances were not in his favor this time. He had no choice but to take it and drink.

The moment the liquid slid past his burning throat, Natsume closed his eyes and tried not to think of the bitter taste. But as he emptied the mug, he realized that it didn't taste at all. In fact, it was more like water with a slight tinge of honey. He couldn't fully describe the flavor. It was something new, and a little bit strange. Were his taste buds at fault now?

Then after a few minutes, he felt his head beginning to clear. His breathing returned to normal. Natsume slowly opened his eyes. At least, his vision was better. He sighed in relief. He then straightened his back.

"Mou, but that doesn't mean that they shouldn't trust me anymore! That was the past!" He heard a voice yell, from somewhere past the wooden walls of the room. He got up—slowly, carefully—trying to assess the condition of his body. When he realized his strength had fully returned, thanks to the magical but rather suspicious drink, he walked towards the door and slid it open.

When he did, the sight of a woman with shoulder-length brunette hair greeted him.

.

Natsume went back inside the house and sat on one of the dining chairs. The woman followed behind. She went on one of the chairs opposite to his, laid the dried clothes there, before pulling another and sat. Then, she began folding the laundry. All the while, Natsume simply sat and stared at her, like a tiger quietly observing his prey. Why was he here? He asked himself, curious of the woman's identity and her motives.

Ever since he woke up, Natsume expected his doctor to be a guy—a bearded, rather mysterious, middle-aged man; like the typical nerdy scientist wearing a lab coat. It never came upon him the probability of the medic to be a woman. Much less a young one at that. She's probably a year younger than him at most. But still, despite her young age, Natsume felt a strong sense of professionalism in her. In so many ways, she was _different_.

And it sure did peak his interest – in a rather curious, unromantic kind of manner.

"Stop staring!" she said, "It gives me the creeps."

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Oh, right! Stupid of me to forget," she suddenly switched to her bubbly mode and paid him a brief glance. All the anger and irritation she felt gone in an instant, "My name is Mikan Sakura, a certified alice medic. And you are…?"

"Natsume," he flatly replied.

"Natsume…?"

"Hyu- Kawazaki. Kawazaki, Natsume," he leaned closer, his hands on top of the table. His voice was monotonous—like before—and serious. He went on, "You said earlier that we're at the boundary? What boundary?"

"Well, I'm from the Hibari Kingdom, the Kingdom of the Water Serpents-"

_Kingdom of the Water Serpents_… Natsume's eyes formed to slits as he stared at the woman. _So, she's an enemy, huh? _Although he would really not like to think of her as an enemy, since she was basically the one who saved him. However, after everything that happened, which was still quite unclear to him, she gave him no choice but to consider her as such. Plus the fact that he was still unsure of her real motives.

"-and right now, we're at the boundary between the Hyuuga and Hibari kingdoms."She smiled innocently at him as she continued folding the remaining laundries.

"Why are we here? Why did you bring me here?" This time, Natsume's voice was colder, curious but in an offensive, somewhat judgmental manner. Mikan had noticed this sudden change of his tone. But she simply tried to ignore it. Her thoughts pre-occupied in finding the answers to his recent questions.

Why was he here indeed? Of all people, why an arrogant man like him? She thought. "I really do not know. I just sneaked in and pretended I was part of the army. My goal was to rescue the first wounded soldier I'd see. But I wasn't able to get one from the first attack, since everyone immediately moved forward. So, I guess that's it."

Natsume leaned back in his chair. He sighed.

"I used the powder the general gave us, to conceal my presence from everyone, and took you with me. After all, that's what the citizens of the Hibari kingdom are famous for. Some can normally do tricks with water, like healing and making powders for concealment. Those are really plus points in terms of battle."

"Idiot, do you normally talk a lot?"

"No, but I thought you were asking," she smiled.

Natsume did not reply. He looked closely at her, trying to find something, anything that might give away her real intentions. But as he continued looking at her and after seeing her gleeful attitude—nope! Natsume thought it impossible. She couldn't have planned something evil. It was quite ridiculous to think so. She was just too innocent; or appeared too innocent. Well, at least, for him.

.

Mikan Sakura

Mikan walked quietly along the busy streets of the boundary. Her mind wandered back to the time she had finally come face-to-face with him. Remembering the cold countenance of the man she just recently saved—well, she couldn't get it out of her head. It wasn't that she was in love with him. By all means, she wasn't. She was simply… curious. Why was he so inquisitive and secretive?

Mikan breathed in, still spaced out. And although she was not paying much attention to her surroundings, she was quite lucky none had bumped her yet. As she absent-mindedly made her way towards the next stall, she was still unaware that a certain stranger had been following her tracks all this time.

"Yes, one of that please," she asked the saleslady as she handed her some coins. The old woman smiled at her before handing the item. Mikan happily received it. Then, she turned around and treaded on. The basket secured in her hands.

After she finished the laundry, Mikan's next task was to cook lunch for the both of them. So, after their talk, she took her basket and went out to the market. But most of the places she visited so far were the vegetable stands, instead of the meat section where she usually shopped before. The basket she held contained more herbs for her patient, than meat and even fish.

As she left another store, Mikan had finally sensed a strong presence—the presence of a man. _She had been followed._ As to why, she was not so certain. But her strong guess was that the man was one of the high-ranking officials of the kingdom, for he was able to conceal himself expertly at some point. Maybe he was sent out to capture her and punish her for disrespecting the code of the knights. Had they finally found out the little feat she pulled with the army?

Or maybe it was just some random thief that suddenly caught her interesting. Was she too flashy? She looked at her dress. Well, it was quite presentable, clean at the very least, but probably not handsome enough to attract robbers. Or at least that's what she thought.

Mikan turned around. But found no person she could consider suspicious. She went on with her errands, pretending that she wasn't able to notice anything weird. Whoever the person was, she just hoped it wasn't a murderer. She could pretty well accept if it was a palace guard. She would simply convince the king of her true intentions. Otherwise, she really does not know what to do.

So she went on, not minding the one trailing behind. She thought that maybe sooner or later, her pursuer would eventually get tired and walk away.

However, what she thought of –she was wrong. Even after some time, the mysterious presence still persisted. Mikan began to fear. She quickened her pace and tried to look for some place to hide or to serve as leverage for her to finally catch the unknown person. She bumped a lot of people along the way, with her muttering a quick apology right after. A few of the things she bought slowly fell off the basket because of her fast walk.

But she simply ignored it and went on.

The presence she felt was getting stronger now, and she needed to get away _fast_. She had no time to pick it all up. Mikan looked ahead, still trying to find a decent hiding spot. And there! A few steps to the front was a small alleyway. Well, it was quite smaller than the rest actually. Mikan paused for a brief while and held her breath.

She had definitely heard of that place alright. Its telltale legend was quite famous, especially in the academy where she studied. That smallest alley of the boundary, also called the branching alleyway was said to lead to the different parts of the kingdom. However, it was later abandoned for reasons she do not clearly know. Some said that it was cursed. Others feared they might get lost as they travel down the roads. Either way, that alley was said to be off-limits.

Nevertheless, it seemed that Mikan does not clearly know what off-limits is.

Suddenly, an idea popped out of her head. She hesitated for a while, thinking of it as an absurd idea. Nonetheless, the more she thought about it, the more convinced she was of using it to her advantage. She took a step. Then, another. One foot forward after the other. After a while, Mikan doubled her pace, almost close to a slow run. The ribbon on her hair began to loosen, and smooth brunette locks cascaded down her face.

She walked faster and immediately turned around. After so, she quickly hid behind one of the stacked boxes. In front were five or so paths branched in different directions. _How strange._ Mikan thought, confirming the rumors. _It was just a small alleyway back then. But it happened to be actually big._

The moment she heard footsteps getting louder every minute, she silenced herself. Her heart beat quickened. She felt his strong presence once again, that very same presence she felt earlier, just past the box where she hid. Mikan stifled a gasp, trying to calm down her nervous self. Looking at his shadow, she could tell that he was confused. Then, she slowly placed the basket on the ground, just right beside her. When the timing was right, she went out of the box and swiftly tried to land a punch to his face.

But Mikan never expected for him to be fast and… strong. The man easily ducked to avoid her assault. When she kicked, he was able to block it with his arms. Because of the quick transition of events, Mikan wasn't able to easily recognize who the man was. But she knew that he was nowhere friendly. When he found his perfect timing, he then grabbed her hand and turned her around. "Let go of me!" Mikan screamed.

"You're quite strong for a girl like you," was what he said, "It is unexpected." Her eyes widened from the familiarity of his voice.

"Mister Kawazaki? Why are you here?" she asked, fuming, "And why were you following me?"

"And a loudmouth too," he went on, ignoring her enraged figure. He loosened his grip and finally let go. He placed both his hands inside his pockets and turned to the basket on the ground. He scanned its contents. "Well, at least there's no poison."

"What do you mean by that?" asked she whilst rubbing her sore wrists. Mikan turned around to better face him. She saw him shrugged.

"Nothing really," he answered.

"Are you doubting me?" Natsume did not reply.

Mikan scoffed. Then, she angrily stomped her way towards the basket and took it. "Well, I am sorry mister if I happened to be so untrustworthy for you. If you do not know and no longer wished to appreciate my hospitality, I have no means of stopping you. You can go wherever you wished to go."

She dusted her dress and walked out of the small passageway. Natsume followed behind, much to her irritation. She walked out to the main street, not minding her disarranged state. The ribbon had fallen off sometime before. Her hair was a bit messed. And the back of her dress was rather the dirtiest, probably from the wall she leaned on a while back.

But she never cared about any of it as she marched towards civilization. All she wanted was to get away from him. _Such an ungrateful jerk!_ She thought, cussing more words inside her head. Because of her anger, she was not able to notice the little commotion happening a few distances away.

Just to the right of the main street was a black horse neighing furiously to its master. It wanted to break free from the grip of the man. But Mikan was nowhere near listening to the loud warning in front of her. She was just too angry. Plus, she was still busy arguing with someone who was certainly not listening.

"Hey, are you listening to me?" Mikan asked angrily, looking at him who was not paying attention to her. "I said you can go now to wherever you wished to go! You don't have to follow me."

But Natsume's focus was not on her. It was somewhere to her right, to where a beast ferociously tried to break free. He had obviously noticed the danger. And as he looked at her oblivious face, he wondered just how blind and stupid she was for not realizing that she was practically within danger zone.

"Idiot, get the hell out of there!" Natsume warned.

"Don't yell at me! And most importantly, don't call me an idiot!" she spat back.

"LOOK OUT!" From the yell of an old man, Mikan turned towards his direction—turned to where a horse speedily made its way towards her. Instinctively, she closed her eyes, waiting for an impact that she was sure to come… soon.

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For added information, I will be updating Fridays, either Friday mornings or Friday afternoon (but not necessarily every Friday). Again, I thank you for the support. _**Please review and/ add**__. _Happy Valentines to all!


	4. The Good Side of Him

**AN OATH TO BREAK**

By pseudonym08

SUMMARY: Akira Tonouchi was well-known for his reckless, and rather impulsive, actions and for always calling Natsume 'prince.' Since his parents were both royal advisers, he was able to easily identify that Natsume was the Hyuugan prince, despite the fact that the last time they met was when he was still ten years old (Natsume was seven by then). When he was still young, out of jealousy, he wanted to kill Natsume but had failed to do so. When the king knew of it and decided to throw him in the dungeons, Natsume came in time to save him. As a result, out of the blue, Natsume asked Akira to protect him. After training abroad with Ruka, he had gone back home to fulfill what he had promised to his 'prince,' much to Natsume's irritation.

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**Chapter Four | **_**The Good Side of Him**_

Mikan Sakura

Mikan breathed in. Then, out. She tried to move her body. However, she couldn't. But it was not because of pain. She didn't feel any pain. She opened her eyes. All she saw was white. _Am I in heaven?_ She thought, curious. But if she was, shouldn't she be seeing her parents now? She moved her hand. Then, noticed that she was tightly gripping and hugging something all this time. _What is this_? She asked herself.

She looked down, to where she saw strong arms tightly wrapped around her waist. Who was this person? Was it her parents? Her father? She does not know. Maybe this is God. Or was it not? It felt so warm. Does God feel warm? She also does not know. But there was one thing she does know. This embrace—it felt so… right.

Mikan nuzzled closer, tightening her grip at the shirt. She never knew that hugging someone could actually feel this good. Or smell this good. This feeling… All this was new to her, something she hadn't felt even with her best friend. And somehow, she never wanted it to end. She doesn't want to let go and separate herself from this person, whoever he or she may be.

"Enjoying yourself?" It spoke! Well, it was more like he spoke! That manly voice, it belonged to someone—someone she was sure she knew. It was cold and monotonous, but hides a tone of mockery and sarcasm as well. But if it indeed belonged to someone she knew, then does that mean she was still alive?

_Nope! Nonsense!_ Mikan then thought. How could she still be alive, when one hit of that raging horse would surely send her flying to her death? The chances of her survival would be most unlikely. No, not just unlikely, but practically impossible!

"Yes, very much," so she answered, trying to dismiss the thought of it as real. In any case, the feeling was also too good to be true. This man was too good to be true. All of these were probably just products of her imaginations. By the time she would wake up, everything would be gone. So it would be best to savor the moment while she still can. She hugged him tight, like a child not wanting to let go of her precious teddy bear, and burrowed her face on his chest.

"Hn," she heard him mutter. Or was it a complaint? But she ignored it nonetheless. How can a product of her imagination complain to her anyway?

After a few while, "Look mama! A couple is making out on the street!" she heard a child's comment somewhere nearby. It was shortly followed by inaudible lectures of a woman, probably from the kid's mother.

"Until when do you wish to cling on to me? Am I that huggable a person that you no longer desired to let go?" he said, with that same husky, but empty, tone she heard not so long ago.

Mikan contemplated for a few while. _So, all of this was real_? She asked herself, feeling the white cloth, his back, and his hands. Panic began to settle in, confusing her all the more. Who was this man then? Does she really know him like she first thought she does? She tried to remember his voice. Maybe she'd get a clue from there. After all, his voice was so utterly familiar.

She thought deeply. Mikan really tried to remember. But she still did _not _let go. So did he anyway. Then, after a few while of recalling, Mikan suddenly froze. Now, she had finally realized. Indeed, she knew of that voice! She perfectly knew who it belonged to. How could she ever forget the tone of that one man she detested the most?

Mikan tried to push herself away a little to get a better view of him, to confirm her doubts. She looked up. Red eyes stared right back at her, teasing her vulnerability. His lips pulled in a smirk. Mikan wanted to yell at him. However, fully realizing their state, and how close they both were, she decided to shut her mouth instead. His hands were still wrapped around her; and hers around his.

Probably somewhere in-between the approach of the horse, Natsume had come to save her from being thrown off. He grabbed her hand and pulled her to his arms, hugging her in the process. Though it was most likely unintentionally done, Mikan still couldn't help but wonder at his sudden actions. The rather inconceivable and reckless behavior he showed clearly contradicted his earlier opinion of her.

Mikan couldn't read him at all. His monotonous expression and cold demeanor made it impossible for her to see through him. Why was he so unpredictable? First, he doubted her. Next, he suddenly jumped in and rescued her. Now, he's hugging her—and hugging her really tight, like what a lover should do.

Seriously, what is this person? She could not understand him at all.

Mikan felt his grip loosened. She loosened her grip as well. "I'm sorry," she said.

Most of the people nearby were already looking at them with curiosity. But most of the time, their attention was solely directed at her. The women started to whisper amongst each other, glancing and snickering at her poor figure every now and then.

It so happened that a small puddle was just beside her. She took a quick peek of her reflection from it. What she saw totally disgust her! No wonder the girls were talking about her behind her back. She was practically a mess! Mikan immediately tried to fix herself. She combed her hair using her fingers. Then, she looked at the crowd and smiled, assuring them that everything was already fine.

"Don't think of anything stupid," she then heard him speak, "I simply do not want to see someone die right in front of me, especially someone who was just too stupid and too stubborn to move." With that, Natsume placed both hands inside his pockets and walked away. Mikan pouted. Well, she knew that she was practically at fault. And she was thankful that he was there to save her. But was it really necessary to tease her?

Mikan sighed.

She then took the basket and her purse lying aimlessly on the ground. She picked up the scattered vegetables one by one, assessed if they could still be cooked and eaten, before placing only a few back inside. Then, she followed Natsume's retreating figure.

In the end, they weren't able to buy all the necessary ingredients before noon. A lot were destroyed when the wild horse broke free and wrecked havoc in town. Most of the food boxes stacked near the streets was damaged. Even Mikan was able to spare only a few goods she already bought. _Such wasted money_. She thought as she moved from one stall to the next, with Natsume barely trailing behind.

And in the middle of their shopping, their stomachs grumbled, loud enough for only the both of them to hear. For one, Natsume hadn't eaten his breakfast before he left the house. Actually, besides the medicinal herbs Mikan gave him from time to time, Natsume hadn't eaten for the past three days. And it made Mikan guilty thinking that it was basically her fault why their lunch had to be postponed—because she was too careless and too slow.

"There's no point regretting about it now," she heard him speak out of a sudden. Then, she felt someone grabbed her hand. "Let's go," he said, dragging her somewhere else. _Wait! How did he know what I was thinking about? _She thought, looking at him walking ahead of her. Then, her gaze shifted to the hand that held hers.

His hand wasn't rough and cold, as what she had first expected it to be. Instead, it was warm and comforting. His hold was strong, but not enough to give her pain or a bruise. On the contrary, it somehow assured her that, for better or for worse, someone would be there to understand and be with her. Although this man was still a bit of a mystery to her and was undoubtedly unpredictable, it made her feel that he still cared. She could tell that deep inside, he was a good man.

"Hey, idiot," he called. _Then again, maybe not_. Mikan sighed for the second time.

"If you are that guilty," he began. Mikan raised an eyebrow, "You could always have this option."

Then, the next thing she knew, she suddenly found herself being led to a nearby cafeteria. The moment they both stepped inside, he immediately let go of her hand and looked at her. "You'll be paying," he monotonously told her. The cafeteria was packed with people. But Natsume quickly found a vacant seat for them to take. Mikan stared at him. _Why hadn't she thought of that?_ She asked herself.

She looked at him walk towards the unoccupied table at the far corner of the room; and then sat on one of the four small chairs it had. He looked at her standing still near the door, with that questioning look on her face. He motioned for her to follow. But she just continued looking at him. She didn't move as she kept on staring into space, still trying to process what just happened.

"Will you be eating here, miss?" the saleslady asked her, sending her back to her senses.

Immediately, her feet began to move. She answered the woman a faint "yes" before going to where Natsume was. From the time they both ordered, to when their food came, nobody said a word. Eventually, Mikan had silently agreed to his plans. She resolved to use the purchased ingredients for later instead—for their dinner or for their breakfast the next day.

After they ate, they both stayed at the cafeteria for a brief while to relax. Mikan was particularly tired from walking around the market. Her feet were screaming from exhaustion. She badly wanted a break. And when she had rested long enough, she turned to him. She placed both hands on top of the table and leaned forward.

"By the way," she began, clearing her throat to catch his attention, "I wanted to say sorry for this morning. It was partially my fault that our lunch had to be postponed," she apologized.

"Partially?" Natsume asked, "It was because of your idiocy that you almost got hit by a horse! Are you always like that?" Mikan's eyes twitched.

"For the nth time, Mister Kawazaki Natsume, I would be very much pleased if you would stop calling me an idiot," her teeth gritted. Her hands formed into fists. She stared at him with anger evident in her eyes, trying to control herself from screaming in front of the public.

"Then, don't give me a reason to call you one," was the only thing he said, before he ignored her completely. Afterwards, everything suddenly turned silent. Natsume stared past the window, intently looking at the citizens walking to and fro the streets, as if finding them interesting. Mikan on the other hand leaned back on her chair and folded her hands, a pout still lingered on her lips. From time to time, she would steal a few quick glances at him. For some reasons, she would always feel annoyed whenever she's with him. There was never a time when he wouldn't tease her. Not a single bloody moment.

Somehow, he would always find reasons to mock her, whether if it was because of her idiocy or of her carelessness. He _is _a jerk who doesn't know how to appreciate hospitality, to the point of even doubting her. However, on the other side of her, she also felt that one way or the other, Natsume just didn't know how to express himself. During tough times, he could still be someone that can be trusted. He never blamed her about their lunch. Instead, he blamed her for being almost got hit by a horse. And that was something she was grateful for. It somehow sound… sweet.

"You look like a monkey when you stare," he commented out of the blue.

"Jerk," she said.

"What?" he asked, rather coldly.

"Nothing," she replied. Then after a brief while, she smiled. Either way, his unpredictability never failed to humor her. For the second time, Kawazaki Natsume… made her feel better.

.

It was already past two in the afternoon when they finish all the errands that they both should do. The big bell of the only church in town rang twice a few moments ago. In the boundary, it was the people's only means of telling the time. It rings every two hours, starting from two in the morning until twelve midnight. The number of rings would mean the time, whether two or four and so on.

The citizens didn't have any watches or any clocks with them. Most were so poor to even acquire a simple hourglass. Besides, in this particular period, inventions were pretty much scarce, especially in the rural areas like the boundaries. Most of the advanced technologies were concentrated inside the kingdoms and its big towns; only made available for the rich. No merchant was brave enough to step out of the large gates.

Thus, the people in the boundary were very much thankful to that stranger. Long ago, there was a woman who was generous enough to give her pocket watch to the priest. They do not really know the complete story, only that it was given as a gift after he helped and guided her towards the south.

Anyway, when the two was about to head back home, Mikan realized that she had forgotten to buy one more thing. So she asked him to wait for her on a certain pub that she knew. It was just a few walks away the main road back to the house. After telling him of the place, she then excused herself and hurriedly went back to the market to buy that one thing she almost forgot –Natsume's medicine.

The moment she reached the market, she immediately went over to where the herbal plants were displayed. She meticulously looked over the items placed on top of a wooden table. When she finally found the plant she was looking for, she asked for it from the saleslady and promptly gave her her payment. Mikan then safely placed the herbs inside her basket before giving the lady a quick smile. Afterwards, she finally left.

As she walked back however, carefully retracing her steps, three brawny men came near her. Their approach was rather sudden. She didn't even have the time to avoid and/ run. Nevertheless, she stayed calm, knowing full well that they would just get aggressive the moment she would try to escape. She just hoped that these men would not turn out to be those kinds of men she first thought them to be.

However, not too soon, they began encircling her just as quick as when they appeared before her not too long ago. Mikan was getting nervous, since this time she was already sure that Natsume had nothing to do with this. She could see him after all, sitting not far from where she was, oblivious of the whole matter. She badly wanted to call him. But her throat was already too dry to even utter the first letter of his name. She was afraid. And so, the words got stuck in her throat.

She breathed in as she tried to find the strength she had left. Her heart pounded forcefully against her chest. But just when she finally had the courage to scream for help, the man behind suddenly came to her and covered her nose with a white handkerchief. Before long, the sweet smell of chloroform drowned her to absolute unconsciousness.

She was already too late.

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This chapter is supposed to be a bit longer (4K words at the very least). However, I decided to split it in half at the last minute and added a few more paragraphs. XD I hope you wouldn't mind though. It's not too short, is it?

Anyway, _**please review and/ add**_**. **I accept constructive criticisms.

Forgive me. This is not yet edited.


	5. Interrupted Plans

**AN OATH TO BREAK**

By pseudonym08

SUMMARY: Tsubasa Andou is an expert in sword fighting. Like both Natsume and Ruka, he was ordained as knight at an earlier age. Unfortunately, Tsubasa Andou did not inherit any special or extraordinary powers like the others, such as fire or water. But he did however come from a rich heritage of skilled samurais. And it was undeniable that he had succeeded each of their abilities and techniques in terms of the sword, improvised it and used it like his own. His kin were well-known, especially in terms of their loyalty among the royals. One striking thing about Tsubasa was that, at the beginning, he was never serious especially regarding Natsume. He was an oblivious fellow that thought everything was a joke. He often kids and laughs around, making people underestimate him. However, when he fights and becomes serious with it, all his enemies would cower before him as his personality changed to something like a shadow from hell.

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**Chapter Five | **_**Interrupted Plans**_

Natsume Hyuuga

Almost thirty minutes had passed and no Mikan was still on sight. Natsume was getting impatient from sitting outside the pub she told him about. Most of the girls standing nearby were already giving him the looks. Hidden behind their fans, they began whispering and giggling amongst each other whilst batting their eyelashes at him. Some even had the nerve to wave at his direction. But he just pretended that he never saw that.

Natsume turned around and ignored them, hoping that they would soon leave him be. Their flirtatious, and not to mention desperate, acts didn't appear attractive to him at all. In fact, he was rather appalled by the sight of it instead.

For one, Natsume had no real interest in women. Putting their heavy make-ups aside, he found most of them not handsome or fit enough for his taste. For him, all of them were basically just the same anyway. They concerned themselves with their appearance, but did so little as to improve the condition of their selves as a whole and the status of their families. It's like their existence, and all the good or bad things that are yet to come were highly dependent upon their looks. So, they do nothing much but to wait for someone to recognize them.

In addition to that, Natsume had this some sort of prejudice that all of them only go for guys that have the looks and the money, without placing any regard on their attitude whatsoever. All they cared for is the pleasure of living an extravagant life, despite the possible miserly affair that they'd have in return.

Well, maybe not all would have that principle. But at least most of them would think that way.

And having that thought, Natsume find it hard to look for a woman these days that was somehow different -someone that could live up to his standards and someone who could look at him and not just his money or his body. Someone who had her own set of principles to follow. Someone who wasn't shallow. Someone who understood the real him.

Natsume shook his head. Why did he suddenly thought of all those things? Was he finally getting mature, enough for him to entertain thoughts about women? He pinched the bridge of his nose and straightened himself, trying to focus on a more important thing. Or at least distract himself from going into that topic once again.

He looked up, back to his surroundings and the people around.

And the moment he did, the first thing that caught his attention was the sight of a brunette being led on a faraway corner. She was carried bridal style by some big guy. Two more brawny men were behind them, acting like bodyguards. Natsume looked closely. There was something about the girl that made her look recognizable for him.

For that perceivable moment, he had thought that she looked similar to someone he knew. Mikan perhaps? Natsume thought deeply. But then, he soon ignored the idea. He was more convinced by the thought that the two were most likely just some newly married couple and the husband only wanted to express his love to his wife by carrying her like a real bride. Then the two guys were probably their relatives. Or they could be their real bodyguards. Either way, that case was pretty much common nowadays anyway.

Besides, how could the woman be Mikan? Who would want to kidnap her? Moreover, knowing her, that girl would likely be in the market still, taking her time to buy that one thing she forgot. Or she even might've had ditched him already. Now that would be more believable.

So when the figures were no longer in his sight, Natsume simply shrugged; the thought gone in his head. His fingers impatiently tapped the wooden surface of the table.

He continued staring at the streets, observing the people doing their individual businesses or the carriages that randomly passed by. There was nothing new that could catch his interest. But, at any rate, it was more than enough reason to pay no attention at the female population looking at him. Natsume was getting bored. That was for sure. And if Mikan wouldn't be back in approximately five minutes, she'd give him no choice but to leave.

After all, he really did plan to leave from the beginning anyway. He would just ask for directions from people and then walk straight back to the kingdom. It sounded like a good plan. Nope! It was a good plan. And any moment from now, he was surely going to do it. It was very much tempting. At this point in time, Natsume couldn't even think of a reason why he was still here. What he was still doing, sitting like nothing happened when he could've been on his way back to his kingdom.

People back home were probably worried. Three days had gone by and still no word from him! He could pretty well imagine each of their faces right now. For sure, they would be thinking and hypothesizing as to what situation he is in. After all, they had no other option but to do that. Ruka, for one, would probably be looking for some clues by asking the people around, the other knights who survived most especially, regarding what they know. If not, he'd be in the Great Library, researching for consecutive days.

Or they had, in all certainty, asked _him_ about what really happened three days ago. After all, Natsume was quite sure, even knowing so little of the guy, that the person behind the detection of the enemy's tactics was no other than him. If there was someone who knew more and could therefore answer their every question regarding what took place in that fateful night, it would be him.

The king wouldn't let every detail slip so easily, especially when the coronation was fast approaching. After all, literally everyone would be there to witness the event. That meant including the representatives of the two other kingdoms. Everything would fall into chaos once they, the Hibarins in particular, found out that the Hyuugan heir was missing. Because that would only mean one thing-the Hyuuga kingdom was now susceptible to attacks. One wrong move could mean his death, and eventually the end of the peace of his people.

And the king doesn't want that to happen. So certain measures were most likely taken account by now.

Knowing his father, he would be probably asking Persona to command his troupes by this time. God knows what might even happen if the king's other guardians or his mother could think of no means to calm him down. Natsume was sure that if he wouldn't come back soon, the Hyuugas would most certainly declare an all-out war, as direct instructions from the king.

Because at any rate, if there was one negative thing his father was most well-known for, it would be lacking a sense of composure and self-control. In contrast to Natsume's cool self or his late grandfather's calmness, the king faces adversities in the most extreme ways unimaginable. And one of those ways would be the use of force and aggression.

He just hoped that he would be back in time to stop it. Or that Ruka could think of a way to delay the senseless, not to mention disastrous, circumstance at hand without doing anything stupid and reckless at the same time.

Natsume heaved a sigh. He really needed to go back home now. So many things, bad things, could happen if he wouldn't.

But then, amidst his mental planning, something black that passed before him made him to temporarily set his previous thoughts aside. Natsume turned to that direction.

His feet suddenly moved on its own when Natsume caught a glimpse of a heavily-cloaked blond walking across the street. He stood up. His gaze never once strayed from the back of the mysterious person. And when the man disappeared on a corner, Natsume was about to run and follow him. But then, one of the women had somehow gotten in front of him and blocked his way.

"Excuse me, mister. I think that-"

"Pardon me for my rudeness but I have to go," Natsume said. He didn't bother to even let her finish her words. He just passed by her without giving any sign of due recognition. He then hurriedly went down the small steps and towards the streets. Then, he discreetly retraced the tracks of the cloaked man. Well, actually, Natsume wasn't even sure whether the person was a he or a she. But for identity's sake, it was much conventional to use a 'he.' And whoever he was, he looked somewhat familiar; oddly mysterious yes, but still familiar.

However, when Natsume reached the corner where the man turned, he was no longer there. Well, Natsume kind of expected it. After all, he had reacted a bit too late already. But it was not that case which brought him confusion and utmost curiosity. Rather, it was because the corner where he turned was a dead end. There were no doors or windows, just solid wall. Natsume never saw anyone leave that place or climb up to the roof. And he was absolutely sure that it was where the man went into. Then again, there was _no one _there.

After a brief while, Natsume sighed. He placed both hands inside his pockets. Then, he turned around and walked away. '_What was that all about?' _was the only thing he could ask. Maybe it was just his imagination playing with him again. Seriously, was he getting paranoid? Is this one of the effects of the medicine? He did remember her warning, before she left for the market this morning, that there might be temporary side effects.

He clutched his head and continued walking. The recent happenings still troubled him, yes. Natsume had a hunch of who it would be. But at some points, he was no longer quite sure. He tried to think of possible reasons. But after arriving with one, more questions would suddenly pop out of nowhere, leading him to question once more if what he saw was indeed correct or not.

And after a few while of thinking and still found no proper justifications for the case at hand, he finally dismissed the idea and continued walking with no particular direction in mind.

In his mindless wandering, it never came upon him that he had already reached another particular region of the boundary. There was a sudden shift of the environment, Natsume later noticed. The land was drier, harder; and there was a thick fog covering the entire area. The whole place reeked of rotten meat and piled up waste.

As Natsume looked around, he saw more people staring intently at him like hungry lions ready to pounce on a very delicious prize. Some of them were as thin as a stick; their clothes torn and dirty. But despite the uneasy situation, Natsume stayed calm. Every time someone would look at him, he would stare back with equal intensity-without any sort of emotion whatsoever.

But then, he realized that the longer he stayed and did nothing, the more he felt the threat growing stronger every minute. Some stood up. Others were already walking dangerously close by, a few steps or so, encircling him. Their eyes fixated on his direction. They still didn't make a move, which was somehow good. And before they could, Natsume made sure that he would already be gone by then. He thought it best to just leave.

He turned around, ready to go. But as he was about to take a step, "Hey, MOVE!" someone yelled somewhere to his left. He didn't even have the chance to turn when someone suddenly slammed into him head-on. They both crashed on the hard ground.

"Damn it!" he heard someone curse.

As he looked up, he wasn't able to clearly see who the stranger was. But he did know that it was a she, with shoulder-length pink hair. The woman immediately stood up, dusted her pants before dashing off. Natsume simply stared at her running away. In her hand, he noticed, was a purse quite familiar to him. He wasn't even able to remember the owner, when he heard another extremely familiar voice screaming for help.

"No! Stop touching me!"

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_**Please review and/ add**_. Your encouraging comments and/ suggestions sure do help a lot. Thank you for reading!


	6. Saving the Unexpected Damsel

I do not know what you're going to say after reading this. Nevertheless, enjoy!

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**AN OATH TO BREAK**

By pseudonym08

SUMMARY: Persona is the king's own guardian of the mist. He is an expert in terms of battle strategies and in battle itself. He is also the trainer of the kingdom's future knights, the head of the general army. Despite the mysterious aura surrounding about him, and the rather dark history he is hiding, the king trusts him the most among all his six guardians. And with that, he is mostly regarded by the others as the king's right hand man. Of the six, Persona is also known to be as the most powerful. He had a special move that only him, and him alone, could do. And that had made him the trump card of the Hyuuga kingdom. However, doing this special ability shortens Persona's lifespan by a fourth. If not, half.

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**Chapter Six | **_**Saving the Unexpected Damsel**_

Natsume Hyuuga

The moment Natsume Hyuuga heard the scream; it was not of fear that made him turn immediately to where the sound came from. Rather, it was of surprise.

Natsume knew that voice too well. After all, who could ever forget? But if indeed he was right and that voice was _hers_, what could she be then doing here? As a matter of fact, why would she be here? Natsume could only wonder with suspicion. That woman had no business here, unless of course she was—. No! That would be impossible! Natsume would not believe it. After all, she—. Then, he remembered.

Natsume sighed as he slowly stood up. He placed his hands inside his pockets. His eyes were without any hint of alarm or of curiosity; his face as nonchalant as before. He still kept that cool expression of indifference. His gaze fixed on the direction where the cry came from. And hoping to waste no second, he took a step forward.

"Where d'ya think yer goin', lad? Ye think they'd just let ye take yer leave just like that?"

Natsume stopped.

"And if ye think of fightin', then I'd be damned," an elderly man with a scruffy long white beard said. He was sitting on a wooden cargo box by the corner, not too far from where Natsume stood. A pistol hanged on his belt, just on his right. He looked at Natsume with his watery brown eyes, probably from old age. Then, he laughed. His eyes never leaving contact.

Natsume never said a word. Nor did he move until the man finished his laughing.

"If I were ye, I would start diggin' me grave right now," he took a cigar and placed it on his mouth. At the same time, most of the men around, which Natsume now noticed to be carrying wooden sticks or long metal rods, started nearing him with that same hungry and evil intent. "Don't tell me that I didn't tell you so," he heard the man softly continued. Natsume raised a quizzical brow… until he was finally left occupied by the dangerous situation he was in.

There were more than ten of them encircling him, each as thin as the stick they held. But even with that physical advantage, Natsume knew better. After all, he was not in the perfect condition to fight as well. He could still feel the effects of the medicine on him. And they were not a crowd to be underestimated. If there was one thing to describe the feeling he saw in their eyes, it would be pure desperation—hunger. They would stop at nothing until they could get whatever they thought he had.

Natsume actually thought of settling this in a more diplomatic manner. If he was only given the choice, he would've opted to help them rather than fight. But then, even after reconsidering the case at hand, negotiations do not simply work with this kind of people. Well, at least for now. "Argh!" Plus, it was already too late.

They charged in.

Natsume ducked in time a long metal rod was swung from his back. Then, he quickly sidestepped the moment he saw someone charged in with a thick plank of wood. But he never anticipated another one to come from his left. Natsume blocked it with his hand, struggling to fight the pain that shot his arm afterwards. And when he found the perfect timing, he kicked his opponent at the back of his knee. The man fell down, still alive and conscious but unable to stand from pain.

Five more charged him from the right. One was able to land a hit on his back. Another on his right leg.

"Tch," Natsume cursed. These guys proved to be more difficult than he gave them credit for. Nevertheless, Natsume tried to control himself still and retaliate with lesser force than his usual. He kicked and punched them on areas, nerves or muscles, which would do no damage than temporary pain and paralysis. In no time, only two were left.

When the man swung his long rod, Natsume ducked. Unfortunately, by this time, it hit his comrade and sent him flying towards a stack of wood outside a far right cottage. His own reckless act caught him off-guard. Natsume took this chance and grabbed the rod before throwing it. Having no other choice, the man ran forward. But Natsume swiftly dodged and moved to his back. He hit the nerves of his unguarded back, sending the man sprawling on the ground, unconscious.

The old man whistled. "I must say. You are something, young man," Natsume looked at him, trying to steady his aching feet. His eyes almost close to a death glare. The man raised both his hands, "Look, I'm not going to fight you if that's what you're thinking. If I wanted to kill you, I should've done so with my pistol a long time ago, don't you think?" He looked at the others sprawled on the ground. "These men… I do not know them."

"I know." Natsume stood up straight, ignoring the numbness he felt throughout his body. Luckily, there was no blood that came out of it. But he was sure, with those impacts he received, that bruises would start to appear sooner or later.

"As much as I'd like to help you, lad, I can't. My reputation here would be ruined. I guess you already know what I mean, right?" He took the cigar off his mouth and threw it on the ground. "I'm not from around here, you know. But whenever I am, I wear my rugged clothes and speak with that kind of tone. You should've known better when you come to this kind of place. These guys would do everything to satisfy their hungry stomachs—steal, murder… _rape_."

For that short moment the word came out of his mouth, Natsume's eyes widened. Then, just as fast it came was as sudden as he masked it with an emotionless façade.

"Tch. And I'm guessing they had one heck of a prize today," the old man went on, "You should make haste, lad."

Natsume understood. He coolly placed his hands back inside his pockets and walked, stopping briefly when the man said, "Before I forget, call me jii-chan." Natsume did not nod, nor moved to turn back at him. He simply went on, and then turned right at the next intersection.

"I'm sure we'd be meeting each other more often from this time around," he continued softly when Natsume was no longer in sight. With his left foot, he crushed the cigar he threw a while back. Then, he stood up and went the other way.

.

After turning thrice in every corner, Natsume saw a group of guys huddled at the end of an abandoned block. All five of them were as big as the three brawny men he saw earlier. At the middle of the crowd, he could barely make out something silvery—the object of their interest. There was no one around to stop them after all… besides him, now that he's here. Natsume's eyes turned to slits.

"Don't you think it's a sign of cowardice for you to be taking advantage of a woman in a place like this?"

They all turned to him, allowing him the liberty to see her face. Even though she looked as if she was not scared, Natsume could tell that she was. After all, he knew her to be a coward when she's alone.

"Natsume," she muttered.

"Hey, you! You know this chick over here?" one of the five called him, momentarily breaking their connection.

"I'm sorry lad, but you would have to wait for your time. We're taking her. If you want her, you have to get her from us by force," another one said whilst taking a wooden stick beside him.

"Hn," Natsume scoffed, "I don't think that I need to anymore."

And indeed, he was right. It all happened so fast. In a blink of an eye, all of them were already on the ground, caressing their bloody wounds all over their body. Seeing that after such a long time reminded him of what she can truly do. It still amazed him though how she does that, even after knowing it to be her alice. He sighed.

Natsume closed his eyes, remembering the incident almost eight years ago—just a month after Ruka came back from his training at the Earth Kingdom... and the first time he ever knew that she had one, an alice.

The three of them, her included, were childhood friends a long time ago. They fought together, laughed together and played together—she and him most especially. But then, one day, she tricked Ruka and told him to go to the Northern Forest where she said Natsume was. Since they were friends, Ruka believed her. He went to the forest alone, at ten in the evening no less.

When Ruka got there though, no one was around. Felt stupid for being tricked, he was about to head back to the palace. But then, the moment he took a step, armed men suddenly surrounded him. All of them had swords slung at their backs or at their belts. Their whole body, including their faces, was covered with black cloth. He could only make out their red eyes. _Ninja assassins_! Ruka thought with alarm, narrowing his gaze at about twenty of them.

Ruka knew that there is nothing much he could do, with nothing more than a small dagger at hand. When one of them attacked him, he deflected it with the dagger he had. But the force soon sent it flying away from his grasp. He wounded his right hand in the process. Ruka fell back. His eyes widened with fear.

Before he could even recover, another one charged in. Ruka closed his eyes, already accepting his death. But just when he thought the blade would've cut his head off, he heard a clang of metal instead. And he didn't feel any blade slice through his neck. He opened his eyes.

"Natsume!" he cried, surprised to see the Hyuugan prince right in front of him, with a sword on his right hand to block the incoming assault. "What are you doing here?" The attacker took a step back away from them, seemingly flustered by the presence of his friend.

"Shut up! I heard everything from Naru. She told you to come here, didn't she?" Natsume tightened his grip on his sword. He then softly continued, "What was she thinking?"

Ruka's hands turned to fists. "You should get out of here," he told him bitterly.

"Tch," Natsume smirked, "And abandon you? I'd rather die than see myself desert _a friend_."

"Nat-"

And just like that, the fighting resumed. Every time Natsume would send one of them unconscious, two more would appear endlessly out of nowhere. He cursed under his breath. Then, having no other choice, he ran towards Ruka. "Let's go," he told him, and both of them ran away. Natsume would stop occasionally when he felt someone was about to reach them. He would block the attack with his sword and then use the hilt to hit them on the head with an enough force to temporarily knock them down.

And they continued running again, until Ruka abruptly stopped.

"What's wrong, Ruka?" Natsume asked.

"Natsume, it's-"

But he was no longer listening. He quickly turned around, just in time to stop one ninja from piercing through his throat. "Stay behind me, Ruka. But don't get too close to the cliff," he warned him, before he finally busied himself into fighting them. Ruka could only watch in awe. His eyes and mouth widened from the feat right before him. But his hands were clenched, feeling utterly useless despite having trained himself abroad.

Natsume looked as if he was not having any trouble from fighting high-class assassins, twenty of them no less. And to think that he was still nine years old that time! For such a boy his age, he had handled himself quite impressively, switching every now and then with defense and offense, blade and hilt. But then, Ruka also realized that the enemies were holding back as well. _They were just playing with him!_

Natsume swung his sword and hit the man flat on the head with the hilt. Then, he sidestepped and kicked another one from behind, just right into his stomach. The hard impact flew him backwards, directly slamming into his comrade behind him. Three more approached him from the front. 'These guys just won't stop coming!' Natsume thought, readying himself for their attack.

But while he was left occupied into fighting those three, Natsume did not realize one had already slipped past him and was charging at Ruka full-speed. The blond lad was momentarily caught off-guard with the sudden attack. But he quickly avoided it nonetheless. He took a stone and used it as a shield when the assassin attacked him at the front. Then, he kicked him on the feet, sending him down on the ground. But then, Ruka did not realize that he was actually swinging his sword that time. He let his guard down. When his attacker fell to the ground, his sword was able to slash Ruka at the left part of his chest.

He fought the urge to scream, knowing full well that it would just distract Natsume.

The assassin immediately stood up after his fall. But before he could move, Ruka threw the stone he had to him. It directly hit his lower region. Ruka's eyes twitched, feeling as if he was the one being hit. Then the man dropped his sword and fell to his knees, trying to ease the pain if he can. Ruka laughed.

"HAHAHA!"

The moment the man heard his laughs, he felt angry. He ran towards the unguarded lad and punched him in the face. Ruka fell down and with an ill-struck of fate, hit his head hard on a big stone. He lost consciousness after that. The man, in his own defense, wasn't contented by all means. He wanted to finish the boy off by wrestling him on the ground.

But just when he took a few steps back and was about to charge, he did not realize his sword on his path. The blade slipped him sideways, sending him off the cliff. He quickly grabbed hold of what was near him, which was Ruka's feet, and then dragged the unconscious boy with him. When they both fell, the force made him lose his balance and he let go, sending him flying down to the thick forest at the bottom.

Ruka, on the other hand, wasn't as unfortunate as the other man. He was spared with an immediate death when the tip of a plant caught the sleeves of his shirt.

"Ruka!" Natsume dropped his sword and ran to his friend. He grabbed his hand just in time Ruka's shirt started to tear off. If Natsume came a second late, Ruka would've fallen off by then. "Tch," Natsume cursed the second time, trying his best not to let go.

On the other hand, one of their attackers seemed to take the sight as an advantage. He pulled his sword from its scabbard and started nearing the two vulnerable lads.

"No, don't!" a shadow yelled from behind one of the trees, stopping the man in his tracks. "If you choose to continue, I assure you that you would suffer a death done by your own hands." The mysterious intruder stepped out of the open. Natsume's eyes widened, before it turned cold. He stared at her hard, with unspeakable anger and disdain. She took a step back, taken aback by the intensity of his glare.

"Nat-su-me," she whispered, feeling guilty all over. She watched him pull Ruka out of the cliff and placed him on his lap. And right after Natsume did, taking her distraction as his chance, one of the assassins ran forward full force. His sword was above him, ready to swing any moment. But unfortunately for him, she was able to see his advance.

"I said don't hurt him!" she screamed. And just right after she did, the man stopped. He dropped his sword. Everything turned silent. Then, after a few minutes or so, that same man grabbed his weapon and… stabbed it at his own chest. Natsume could only look at him, shocked and scared at the same time. All of the other assassins were doing the same thing. They started attacking each other. And by the time the clock struck twelve, all of their attackers were already on the ground, dead cold with the swords of their comrades sticking out of their chests.

She fell on the ground. Her shivering hands over her crying face. "Natsume… Natsume, I'm sorry."

"It's not to me you should say your sorry," he answered her coldly, regaining his composure. Not too soon, palace guards surrounded them—with torches and swords with them.

"What happened here?" Persona, the head of the squad, asked them.

"Someone attacked us suddenly," Natsume replied. He took one quick glance at her, before finally looking at the Guardian of the Mist Ring in front of them, "You should take Ruka to the infirmary. He needs it."

One of the guards stepped forward and took Ruka. He carried the boy to his horse and rode away from the commotion.

"You two should head back to the palace. Let us take care of everything around here," Persona instructed him. Then, two more guards stepped forward, each holding a horse with them. Natsume stood up and went to one of the horses. With one swift move, he mounted himself on it.

"You should stop crying and get up," he told her, before commanding the horse to turn away and run. In no time, he was no longer in sight. And ever since then, Natsume Hyuuga no longer heard any news about her. The day he and Ruka left to become knights, he thought that he saw her shadow just right outside her room, in one of the towers of the palace. But then, the second he looked back, she was no longer there. So he dismissed the idea.

"I haven't seen you since—you know—you left the palace," he heard her said.

Natsume slowly opened his eyes, looking straight at her after so many years that passed.

"It's nice to see you again, Natsume," the woman, Luna Koizumi, continued with a smile.

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When I said 'watery brown eyes, probably from old age,' I did not mean that the guy was crying. Well, have you noticed that most of the eyes of old people are a little bit watery? That was what I meant. So, I'm sorry if it's a little bit confusing. If you could think of another way to restate it, please tell me. I'm a bit busy these days. I never get the chance to recheck my grammar.

This chapter is a little bit self-explanatory, I think. Natsume knew all along that it was _her. _After all, she was his childhood (umm.. how to put this?) friend. And I need this chap to introduce her. But as to the meaning behind his expressions and everything about their actions, I'll let you figure that one out. Hints would be shown sooner or later.

**Your reviews/adds are highly welcomed.** Thank you for the support!


	7. First Guardian Candidate

I think I have made you suffer long enough. Thank you for the patience. Also, I have a little warning. Some scenes may not be suitable to very young audiences so parental guidance is strictly advised. Nah! I believe you're all old enough to understand. Enjoy!

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**AN OATH TO BREAK**

By pseudonym08

SUMMARY: Narumi Anjo is another one of the king's own guardian, the guardian of the cloud. It was said that Narumi suffered double personality. When he is with people he doesn't know, he acted all cheerful and bubbly—such as when he was asked by the king to train the knights for the first time. Otherwise, he was observed to be someone serious and aloof. Unlike the others, Narumi could easily detect people's presences—as clearly shown during the first battle, when the Hibarin troupes used the water technique, camouflage. It was also noted that Ruka inherited the same ability as well, though the two of them were not in any way related by blood.

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**Chapter Seven | **_**First Guardian Candidate**_

Mikan Sakura

Mikan breathed in. Then, out. _Where am I?_ She thought. Was she finally dead this time? She didn't know. Everything felt like a déjà vu. But contrary to the previous circumstance, all she saw was pure darkness—not white. She didn't know if whether this was because she was trapped by her own subconscious or that she was blindfolded or even dead. Well, maybe perhaps she was really dead.

But then, if she was dead, why does she feel so uneasy? Shouldn't she be at peace? Or does this only mean that she was bound to eternal misery?

Mikan sighed. Standing there in complete nothingness, her thoughts turned to the time more than a year ago. She remembered that the feeling she felt back then was exactly the same to what she felt right now. So vague—doubtful. She closed her eyes, trying to remember further.

Back in the academy, once a student had reached the age of fifteen, or whenever the faculty had thought of him or her competent enough to serve the public, it was advised for that student to take the National Exams—a primary taker so they say. And depending upon the alice, the student may be required to undergo further practical assessments or oral examinations.

In Mikan's case, although a hands-on was obviously a requirement, she was exempted from it for safetypurposes and other matters she was not told about. Normally, she would've insisted. Actually, she insisted. But then, when the matter had led the faculty to threaten her with the possible cancelation of her schedules, Mikan tried her best to hold on and keep quiet.

It had always been her top priority to be enlisted as a primary taker. And she will not make a mere hands-on exercise ruin it all.

She had stayed in the academy long enough. And she badly wanted to go out and reunite with her foster family—the elderly couple who adopted her before the 'puppy-accident' scene. Not meeting them for six long years was surely enough to make her miss them. They had been so kind to her, treating her like their own child. And she didn't even have the chance to say a proper goodbye when she left. The academy agents made it impossible for her to do so. Much more when she was finally inside the campus.

Ever since she had enrolled herself in—which was, in her case, actually done forcefully—she was never allowed to leave regardless of whatever reason she may have. It was a policy for all alice-users to stay inside the compound at all cost, to prevent any possible accidents or whatever reason the academy may have. The letters and packages they send would have to undergo some checking. Hers were most of the time, if not always, intercepted.

The academy had assured her though that they had already explained everything to her 'parents.' Plus, during mail days, Mikan would receive some handmade items from them. Still, one can never be too sure about the authenticity regarding these kinds of information—especially when the academy _is_ involved. So, with that, Mikan's last string was the exams. Passing it could be her only chance to break free.

Then again, it wasn't as simple as it seemed to be.

Mikan knew that despite being a candidate for a primary taker, the people in the academy would eventually find ways for her to not pass it. After all, she was already accustomed by their unduly strict treatment. Since they took off her trouble with the practical assessment, she had anticipated that they would increase the difficulty of the written test. No, not just anticipated! She knew. And that was one thing the academy staffs overlooked.

They had practically thought that Mikan was stupid enough to be complacent and happy-go-lucky all the time. What they didn't know was that she, who had always been labeled a crammer, had actually begun studying even months before. Plus, that there were also others who were more than willing enough to teach her.

She was prepared. Well, sort of.

And when the exam results went out, with Mikan barely passing at the number fifty, she smiled in joy as the teachers looked at her with their jaws literally wide open. Her best friend was there too, showing off one of her rarest smiles. Mikan beamed back. She couldn't wait to go home! Then, introduce her best friend to her parents—more of like grandparents actually.

During the last week of their stay at the Academy, Mikan's best friend had treated her to Central Town. It was to celebrate their freedom and of them both finally getting their licenses. Fortunately, they were lucky enough that the carnival had stopped by on that very same week for a performance. And thinking that it would be the one and only time her best friend would treat her, which eventually was, Mikan did her best to spoil and enjoy herself the entire day.

She rode on almost every ride, and ate almost every food offered—especially her favorite howalons. But she was never really happy.

For reasons she could not explain, instead of being utterly cheerful as she should be, Mikan felt uncertain and tensed. It was weird, pleasurable and yet sickening at the same time. It was like being locked in inside the house, with all the needs being miraculously provided every day. One would feel comfortable and worry-free, yes—considering that the place was highly familiar and that all other necessities were being taken care of. However, the thought of being 'locked in' also brought a sense of doubt and dread. It's like an unknown threat continuously lingered every now and then, hidden by one's complacency.

Something was definitely amiss.

It was only that very exact moment when she reached home that she finally realized what that mysterious sensation was all about. Her parents, the old couple was already dead. She was orphaned _again_. Mikan went over to her best friend's house the next day, crying. And even without saying a word, her best friend already knew.

The following days were spent with them transacting some papers. Mikan's best friend refused to send her back to the adoption center. Although Mikan was still too young to live on her own. She too was too old to be adopted. Thus, her best friend—with the help of her best friend's parents—decided to take full responsibility on Mikan. And ever since then, the two had been inseparable.

Mikan sighed the second time. The feeling… it was still there. She opened her eyes.

As she opened them, Mikan expected to see the same black background. But instead, she saw a few small hairs sticking out of an almost bald head. She was finally awake. As she slowly regained consciousness, she felt something wet down her neck. A hand shoved past her shoulder and to the back, untying the strings and the ribbons of her dress. The feeling was confirmed. Her hazel eyes widened.

Then, she screamed.

"Get off of me, maniac!" Mikan struggled, trying to push the brawny man away. He briefly let go of her neck. Instantly, bloodshot eyes and a big flat nose attached to a man's unshaved face loomed closer. He stared hungrily at her and smirked. She also heard a few more chuckles behind him. Mikan gulped. A tear was threatening to drop.

"Oh ye poor lass!" the man said. His breath smelled of wine and rotten meat. Mikan fought the urge to hurl. "Don't cry. We won't hurt ye," he added, followed by hateful snickers. He used his right index to tip Mikan's chin. With his thumb, he wiped the small tears away. Then, he neared her ears and licked it. Mikan cringed.

"Stop," Mikan whispered, pushing the man away again. But her efforts did her no good. She was already too tired.

"Won't ye just get on with it, Jin? In case ye forget, we still have our turns here," another one said from somewhere behind him. Mikan closed her eyes, hoping that it was all a dream. No matter what she did, she clearly had nothing against these men. Her alice was useless. She was practically defenseless. Tears were now continuously streaming down her face.

"Shush! Patience, mate," Jin replied menacingly. His hand left Mikan's chin and was now retracing her neck to her arm, slowly pushing the sleeves of her dress down with it. But just before it had slid past her chest, they felt two more presences coming towards them.

"Hn," another man commented, shoving his hands inside his pockets. He was walking just a few steps away, in an intersection. A woman of shoulder-length silvery hair stood beside him. They appeared to have come from the right, and were obviously heading towards the opposite direction.

"Seriously, Natsume! I am not lying-" but he stopped. And upon noticing his reaction, so did the woman.

"What do you think you're doing?" the newcomer's voice—Natsume—turned cold as he stared at the three men not far from where he stood. Upon hearing him, the latter stopped what they were doing and faced him. The woman pushed on the corner did her best to open her eyes and see what was going on as well.

When she did, her hazel eyes instantly met red ones.

The man named Jin let go of her and she fell to the ground. For a moment, Mikan felt shaken. Her hands instinctively moved on top of her chest, pulling her clothes up and caressing her body limp from pain and shock.

"No, you will not fight," she heard indistinctly, "You are still too tired to beat these men. I will do it."

Mikan no longer knew what happened right after that. Her vision began to blur. All she heard were punches, screams and wooden boxes being smashed as it hit the cemented walls. Her hand reached for the floor, trying to support her body from falling over. But it served her no good. Not too long, her eyes shut close and she was once again greeted by darkness.

When Mikan opened her eyes, a face of an unconscious man was the first thing that greeted her. She flinched in fright. But the sudden movement made her feel as if her entire body was being torn and dislocated. Mikan winced in pain. Then, she felt numb all over. She breathed heavily.

"Why… hate Ruka… much?" she heard a familiar emotionless voice said. _Natsume!_

Mikan turned around. Before her, just a hand away, stood a man on a white shirt. His back faced her. And with the last bit of her strength, Mikan leaned closer, trying to understand what he was saying. Who was he talking to? Who was this Ruka?

"I don't, Natsume," she heard a woman's voice. "The two of you are being close together. And let's just say that I'm jealous."

Natsume scoffed whilst placing his hands inside his pockets like he normally do. There was a brief silence. And if Mikan did not look up to see the woman now staring at her, she wouldn't realize that they had known she was awake. She blushed in embarrassment. Since when had she become so curious about other people's businesses anyway?

Caught off guard, the woman smiled at her. Mikan wasn't sure though if it was a friendly one or not.

"And if that girl gets too close to you too, then don't trust that I'd be nice to her," the silver-haired woman was now facing Natsume. And although Mikan knew that her words had a threat embedded in each of them, she still somehow understood. After all, Mikan could see it in her eyes—love and sadness. She was his lover. Was. Or at least that's what Mikan thought. Nonetheless, either way, she had every right to be jealous. Well, not that there was something to be jealous about though.

"I was just kidding!" the woman smiled. "So, I will see you soon, Nat. I hope you knew what you're doing though."

The woman neared him and kissed his cheek. She hugged him. "And although I may not like it, you need to do something about that trauma," she said whilst looking at her. Natsume simply answered her with his usual, "Hn," before she broke out of her one-sided hug. The woman gave one last small smile. Then, she turned with her heels and finally left. Mikan just stared at her retreating figure. When her shadow disappeared on a turn, Mikan faced the ground and sighed.

Now that everything was quieter, the events that happened not too long ago came to her like rushing waters. She closed her eyes, trying to push _that _disgusting thought aside. Her other hand hugged her body tighter, as if shielding it from unwanted attention. Mikan could feel Natsume squatting just in front of her. But she just flinched and then ignored him.

"Baka!" she heard, before a hand had suddenly grabbed hers and pulled her to a warm embrace.

.

Ruka Nogi

Back at the Hyuuga Kingdom, _three days _ago

Jinno, alongside Persona and Akira, were walking ahead of the remaining crowd as they headed for the palace. The few people, who were already on the streets working for a living, immediately cleared a path for them to take. It was a silent walk. The cool breeze swept past them as the sun slowly rose to the sky. It was a beautiful morning. Or at least that's what the others wished to believe.

However peaceful the day may be, it cannot be denied that there's a small hint of alarm that hung loose in the air. No matter how well the authorities may have hid the truth with their emotionless façade, the others could still sense the approaching danger. It may not be obvious in their blank eyes. But it can be felt nonetheless.

"A good day, huh, Tsubasa?" one of the folks said, waving at the teen with one hand as the other held the broom.

The called teenager turned around and waved back, smiling. "A fine day indeed, Sir!" he replied before clearing his throat. Then, he went on, trying to ignore the stares the others were giving as he himself was not quite sure what was happening. Before they reached the palace gates, Tsubasa ran towards his trainer, Persona. The latter stopped.

"What is it, Tsubasa?" Persona asked in his usual monotonous tone.

"My old man is looking for me. I need to go."

With a sigh, Persona nodded. Tsubasa did a quick bow and then left. Ruka just watched him walk away. So did the others. And as they walked up the small steps and towards the main entrance, Akira went beside Ruka and whispered something to him. "Do you think we'd be able to meet _him_?" Ruka shrugged. He really had no idea as well.

Once the double doors were opened for them, Ruka could make out a silhouette at the far end of the hallway, sitting on one of the thrones. Although Ruka had seen the king countless of times in his childhood, still, it had been more than seven years ago. The moment he and Natsume had decided to live as ordinary citizens, he had lost contact with all the higher ups in the palace, with the exemption of his father of course.

They walked quietly across the hallways, passing portraits of the different Hyuugan rulers along the way.

When they reached the small flight of stairs leading up to the thrones, each of them bowed to their knees. "Your Highness," Persona addressed. After a minute or so, Ruka felt the king stand up from his seat.

"So, what news of my son?" the king asked. His voice was melancholic but definite and loud. It was Jinno who stood up first. The rest of them followed.

"There were none," he replied, "But Tsubasa Andou found his ring on the battleground." Jinno walked up and handed Natsume's ring to the king. The latter sighed. For the second time, Jinno bowed low before descending the stairs.

The king studied the ring for a moment. Then, he looked at them, seemingly looking for answers on their faces. But there were none. They were as baffled and as confused as he was. "So, what do you make of it? I don't need a stupid ring! I wanted to know if my son is alive or what!" the king demanded, his tone changing, "Answer me!" Fighting the urge to cringe, the others merely closed their eyes.

"Wasn't it your job to watch over him? To protect him?" Ruka wanted to point out that Natsume was no longer a child to be watched over. But then, one look at the king's angry face, he decided it best to shut his mouth. "Well, tell me! Where is my son?!"

Amidst the silence, Persona stepped up. With the exemption of the Rain guardian, among all the others, Persona was the only one brave enough to answer the temper of their ruler and then get away unharmed. "We still do not know the details, Your Highness. It is still too early to draw some conclusions."

The king scoffed. He looked away, trying to weigh down things and calm himself. His hands clasped behind him.

"We would like to have an audience with him," Narumi interrupted, "We thought that only him would be able to explain the current situation. He was personally trained by Persona, after all. And now, he had his ring."

Upon hearing this, shock was absolutely an understatement to what Ruka felt. He was impressed! The boy… he wasn't an official guardian and yet the others had gone so far as to trust him with Persona's ring. He obscurely turned about to look at the latter's hands. And indeed, the ring which he knew was usually worn on the guardian's right middle finger was no longer there.

Ruka stifled a gasp. He could tell that Akira beside him was just as surprised as he was. _Wasn't he_—wasn't he supposed to be a candidate? Then, why does he already have Persona's ring? Both Akira and Ruka could only guess.

After a while, the king smirked and thereby cutting their curiosity short.

"Come, follow me," he then said, walking down the stairs and towards another door on the left, "I left him at my studies." With this, Ruka's attention was once again diverted towards the king. _Well, isn't he a bipolar one? _Ruka sighed._ He never did change._

They were now walking on another long hallway. To their right were glass windows that overlooked the royal court below. On the left wall hang various tapestries and frames. Multiple cabinets and drawers made out of mahogany also lined the left side. Like the previous hall, it was red carpeted and majestic chandeliers hung above them.

The king led them to the west wing of the castle. And before two big oak doors, he stopped. Beside the doors was a golden sign that said, 'Royal Library.'

"Let me introduce to you," the king began whilst stepping forward, holding the two door handles before pushing. The door creaked open, "the academy's prodigy and the first guardian candidate, the guardian of the mist—Tobita Yuu."

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Not edited. So, reviews?


	8. The Prophecy

I apologize for the late update, and I want to thank you for the patience.

* * *

**AN OATH TO BREAK**

By pseudonym08

SUMMARY: Jinnois the king's own guardian of the thunder. Like the other guardians, he is known for his seriousness and strict nature—said to have no fear and weakness. What most people do not know though is that Jinno is very much afraid of ghosts. Anyway, Jinno is always seen carrying a pet frog with him and using some sort of wand during battles. At first, people thought that the frog was just for display and the wand for fun. However, it was later found out that those two actually served a greater purpose than just mere ornaments. As to what it is, it would soon be revealed.

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**Chapter Eight | **_**The prophecy**_

Ruka Nogi

As the doors swung fully open, they could distinctly hear the sound of a broken glass. Just a few steps in front of them, standing up and looking horridly at the broken vase was a boy of about seventeen, with sandy yellow hair and circular rimmed glasses. Upon their heavy scrutiny, he slowly looked up at them with an apologetic smile. A book lay open in his right hand.

"Uh… hi?! I'm Tobita Yuu. Please call me Inchou," he introduced, as he set the book down and wiped his sweaty hands with his pants. He pushed his glasses to the bridge of his nose and did a small bow at the sight of the king and Persona.

Ruka simply stared at him bow, surprised that his first meeting with this alleged genius would turn out like this. First off, Ruka never expected the guardian candidate to be so young. Well, he did know that Natsume's guardians would most likely be in the same age as they were. Still, with the talks in town about the talents of this mysterious person, he was pushed to believe that the candidate was at least in his early twenties. And as Ruka looked at him from head to toe, he wondered if this lad was indeed the same person who had single-handedly figured out and eventually broke the enemy's recent tactic, _camouflage. _

Then again there was no room for doubts, for when Ruka's gaze had traveled to that in the latter's hands, there in his right middle finger was the Hyuugan provisional mist ring. Provisional for the ring has to take its original form after the initiation rites, and the lad had been deemed worthy by the heavens as its true bearer.

"So, this is the famous guardian candidate?" Jinno asked with an incredulous tone. The boy, Yuu, merely gave a small smile in return. This was probably the first time the guardians, again with the exception of Persona and the Rain guardian, had personally met Tobita Yuu too. It sounded almost unbelievable; absurd, in fact. But then, considering that this matter certainly involvedthe king, well, he might have had reasons of his own for keeping the information classified even from his own guardians.

"Well, he does surpass my expectations," Narumi added, not sure if it was meant either as a sarcastic joke or not.

The king sighed, but decided to speak no further. He walked inside and asked a servant to clean up the mess. Then, while a woman in her late fifties immediately attended the king's demands, the former went towards one of the couches and sat. The blond lad, who was standing directly in front of him, bowed his head low and shyly sat back down. The rest of them proceeded to follow after.

The King's Study, also known as the Royal Library, was really bigger compared to the common one. It has a copy of every book the public library has, ranging from historical articles to modern writings to fictional ones. It even included those classified and restricted ones the latter was forbidden to acquire. It had two floors, with shelves made out of hardwood and as tall as thirty feet.

Fine tapestries, curtains and ornaments decorated the walls. Majestic chandeliers hung on the ceilings, and there were antique vases placed on top of small cabinets and tables. In addition to that, there were multiple lounges scattered about inside the room. Five of which were just in front of the double doors, arranged U-shaped with a small rectangular table at the center.

When all had settled down, the king cleared his throat. "I want answers," he began as his gaze travelled to that of the four-eyed blond. "You said last night that my son suddenly disappeared from your sight. Now that we are all here, and your doubts have been confirmed, please enlighten us with what you know," the king calmly added, though it was clear how hard he actually tried to sound like it.

Yuu cleared his throat as he tried to ignore the pressure of having all eyes directed towards him. He fixed his glasses to the bridge of his nose, a gesture he commonly do whenever he is uncertain or whenever he is trying to be serious. "So, umm, where do you want me to start?"

"Start by explaining the Hibarin's new technique, if you please," Narumi replied with a smile. Yuu's sweat dropped upon seeing that wide grin. But after a minute or so, he finally ignored it and started talking.

"Camouflage is a Class A water ability that envelops the user with a thick blanket of water," he explained, "This blanket of water reflects its surroundings and thus, makes the user somewhat invisible. It is activated by sprinkling oneself with a powder. This powder would then hold the water molecules in place instead of the user itself. Thus, saving energy for combat and allowing the user to do other techniques with his free hands."

"I see," Jinno commented.

"Using the technique I perfected, which could see right through barriers and other techniques involving concealment, I was able to know the enemy's whereabouts. Knowing that you wouldn't be able to locate them as much as I do and that I cannot, in any way, cancel out their barrier, I decided to conjure some illusions instead in placement of the enemies so you would be able to see them. Well, umm, I think seeing would not be the correct term," Yuu took off his glasses and wiped it with his shirt before putting it back on, "But at least you were able to know where they are."

"Illusions in placement of reality? Could that even be possible?"

Tobita Yuu sighed. Well, he had already expected such remarks. Persona cleared his throat and explained everything for the lad, "Expressed in simpler terms, Tobita's devil lens technique involved tricking one's eyes and thus, appearing as if they had seen either anyone or anything. But all of it was, in fact, mere illusions."

Yuu nodded. "And I-"

"I don't see the point of further explaining the technique. It still doesn't answer the fact that Natsume Hyuuga suddenly vanished from our sight… does it?" Akira Tonouchi interrupted, hardly surprising everyone upon his dropping of the title he had never—save this day—fail to address. Prince. Such was the tension that people vaguely noticed it. Or they had, either way, already chose to ignore.

Everyone began to gossip.

"That is because the power used was no longer a simple concealment barrier," Yuu coolly replied, trying not to cause any commotion. But then, considering the weight of this new information, he knew doing such would already be futile. He sighed for the second time before proceeding, "My powers were voided."

"Your alice was voided?" Misaki, the king's own guardian of the sun, asked, "How?"

Tobita Yuu sighed. "It was an alice."

The people present began to whisper amongst each other. "An alice?! I thought alices like that no longer exist nowadays!" Akira pressed on.

Their muffled whispers turned to loud mutters, asking questions and finally stating their opinions upon the matter. Yes, it was true. Alices like that mustn't have existed today. It has been years since that event had happened, and all people having such alices were killed. It was stupid to think that one had survived. It was unlikely. Such dark times those days were. It was the time when everyone and everything began to change literally. The future became dimmer than ever.

As the people talked, they would glance every so often at the king who, after such a revelation, was awfully silent.

"Maybe Tobita Yuu was just mistaken," Akira suggested. "Perhaps it was just a higher degree of camouflage. An official? A trump card behind their sleeves? Although I would like to think not, still, what if Prince Natsume was already in the hands of the Hibarin king? Maybe we should start by-"

"I do not think that I was mistaken," Yuu replied, "And at the same time, I do not think that Prince Natsume fell into the wrong hands. Moments before my powers were voided, I could still sense the presence of his attacker. It doesn't have any killing intent. So, I guess there's nothing much-"

"Don't be ridiculous! That is a lie! You personally do know what the Hibarins have come here for! So do not ever tell us as if his disappearance was just nothing, because…" Ruka exclaimed, restraining himself to stand up and grab Yuu's collar. His hands were clenched as it pounded the table beside. Everyone suddenly kept quiet as they could only stare at him in complete understanding. _Ruka_… "Because… If there is one reason why Natsume suddenly vanished, it would most likely be… be…"

"Be silent, Ruka Nogi. You of all people should know better," the king finally spoke. He looked at the boy. Though at first glance, it appeared to be a glare. However, with no one other than Ruka knowing, it was actually more of a gentle rebuke. The king had genuinely understood the situation. The king had… known.

"I see no point in continuing the matter further. This argument is closed," the king proceeded, tearing his eyes away from the confused lad.

"So what do you expect us to do? Nothing? We'd just leave-"

"I didn't say that we do nothing," the king sighed, "I have thought about this already. And although I know that it is still too early for this, I nevertheless find it necessary that we proceed with the rites. My son, Natsume's guardians must be chosen."

.

Tsubasa Andou

Tsubasa Andou's house was part of a small village at the far end of town, close to both the Northern Forest and the Northeastern Shore of the kingdom. His father specifically chose that place for reasons Tsubasa was not told about. Or perhaps he just forgot about it. Either way, Tsubasa had nothing against his father's choices. After all, it was a good place, very peaceful for it was far enough from the town noise.

Upon returning back home, Tsubasa took his usual shortcut, passing a few houses and the river that cuts through the four different kingdoms of the country. It was a little bit off-road and thus, the pavement wasn't completely cemented. Luckily, it hadn't rain last night and the ground wasn't muddy.

"Tsubasa-nii, play with us today!" One of the children ran next to him and tugged his shirt. During his free time, or whenever he passed by their houses and had nothing better to do, Tsubasa would often play with the kids. However, today was one of those very few ones with an exception. He turned towards the lad, knelt down and ruffled his ebony hair.

"Unfortunately, I can't today," he smiled, "My old man is waiting for me back home."

The boy frowned. So did the other kids. "But you promised us!"

"When I have the time later, I'll come back and play with you guys," he told them. The kids' eyes lit up as they smiled back at him.

"Yay! It's a promise then, Tsubasa-nii!" they cheered, running off and finally disappearing behind the thick trees.

Tsubasa's eyes trailed towards where the kids had ran off. A smile still decorated his lips. He never had to worry about the kids playing and running around in the forest. For what it's worth, if there was anyone who knew the secret of the woods better than he and his father do, it would be no other than them—the children. They had practically lived and played countless of times here. This place was no alien to them.

And so, with that thought in mind, Tsubasa stood up and wiped off the dirt on his pants. As he looked up however and was ready to go, he had so inadvertently bumped someone by the shoulder. The man was tall and had auburn-colored hair. He was carrying a bag of fruits, probably from his gathering at the forest. And upon the unfortunate encounter, several had fallen off from his grasp.

Tsubasa helped the man pick up the fruits. And after giving the last one, he scratched his head. "I am sorry, sir. I was being careless a while back," he apologized with a smile.

As he looked at him, Tsubasa was surprised to see a pained expression on his face. "Do not ever lose that expression, young man," was the stranger's mysterious statement as he patted Tsubasa on the shoulder. Then, the man immediately walked away without saying anything further.

Tsubasa simply stared at his retreating back, bewildered by the encounter and feeling strangely familiar about him at the same time.

_Do not ever lose that expression. _What does he mean?

"I see that you still haven't changed, Tsubasa," he heard another familiar voice coming from his right. "I thought you would've gotten more serious this time around," the person added mockingly.

"I could say the same thing to you. Akira would surely kick your ass the moment he sees you," Tsubasa responded, smirking coolly at the intruder before turning around, all thoughts about the recent stranger gone with the wind, "Li-ttle Ha-ya-ma…chi."

.

The moment Tsubasa slid the door open, he could immediately smell the faint scent of spices and herbs. Upon the scent, his stomach suddenly grumbled. "Tsubasa, is that you?" he then heard his father ask from across the room. Tsubasa smiled as he scratched his head. His father was cooking, chopping off some ingredients at the kitchen when he arrived.

"Yes, it's me," he replied as he unstrapped his sword and armor before placing them on the corner of the room. Beside where he placed his things was a wooden table with a frame on top. The frame contained the wedding picture of Tsubasa's late (and real) parents. He never had the chance to see and know them properly. But he was happy that he was at least given the opportunity to see their photo whenever he wanted. He tried to find contentment by looking at the only picture his adoptive father had of them.

He smiled.

Yes, Tsubasa Andou was an adopted child. His mother died when she bore him. His father died in battle, long before Tsubasa could even reach the age of three. Makihara, one of his father's best friends, decided to adopt the poor boy and teach him everything that he needs to know. This led him to quit his job of being a knight without Tsubasa's knowledge, even declining the recognition offered to him by the king as one of the best fighters in the kingdom.

But well, Makihara never regretted his every decision. He had devoted himself in teaching the boy. And he really did a good job in doing so. Ever since then, Tsubasa had treated him like a father; and Makihara considered Tsubasa as his son despite a mere fifteen-year gap.

"Father, could you still remember Hayama-chi?" Tsubasa asked with a laugh as he entered the kitchen. "While heading back home, I happened to meet h-"

"So, any news of that missing comrade the others were all talking about?" Makihara asked, cutting Tsubasa midway.

"Ah… Nope! Not really," he replied, "But I do found a ring that appears to be the Hyuuga succession ring."

Makihara suddenly stopped. The knife suspended mid-air. His eyes turned a bit serious. "So," and so does the tone of his voice, "what do you make of it, Tsubasa?"

Tsubasa had noticed the sudden change of his father's tone. But he dismissed it and masked his expression with that of his usual untroubled one, desperately trying to ease the aura of tension he had been feeling from his father. "I don't know," he replied, "It must've been a fake one, I think?" He smiled.

Makihara wanted to beat the sense out of Tsubasa in that very instant. "You silly lad!" he murmured as he frustratingly looked away. The boy could and should not remain ignorant of everything around him anymore! He had tolerated that attitude before, feeling no threat from it. But now that everything had turned to worse, it was time to get serious on things. "Tsubasa," he began, trying to let him understand by making his voice more serious.

He turned towards the lad. But then, with one clear look on Tsubasa and his smile, he immediately changed his mind. His features softened. Makihara sighed. No. He couldn't afford to break it to him just yet. Well, he doesn't have to. He really doesn't have to tell the boy of what he should do—of his role in the prophecy. Somehow, in his own way, he had already begun fulfilling it. He would someday learn.

'That brat!' he thought. Makihara smiled. Now, he had fully understood. "Can you please go to the market for me and buy me some fish?"

Tsubasa hesitated for a while. But then, he simply shrugged. "Sure," he replied before leaving the house.

When Tsubasa had left, Makihara turned back to his unfinished work and continued chopping the remaining vegetables. After he was done, the brief silence reminded him of the time years ago—the time of which the prophecy was announced and eventually to the time Tsubasa's father had died right before his very eyes, protecting the baby Natsume who would one day become a great king.

To think of it, it was actually his fault why Tsubasa's father had died. He hadn't rightfully fulfilled his role of being a good knight, and allowed himself to be swayed by the enemy. Remembering that thought, he knew then that he didn't have the right to receive the 'best fighter' award of the kingdom. It really wasn't supposedly his. And as a way of redeeming himself, he had rejected the award and promised himself to train Tsubasa the best that he could.

'Well, what's the point of regretting about it now?' he thought and then, smiled. They will gather here soon enough. Everything… everything is falling into place.

.

Between blood and water, the scale shall break

Once unreachable bird soon will shake

The fortunes of the past and the forgotten land

An oath to break, a hero's final stand

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When I say Misaki, I was referring to Misaki the teacher. Otherwise, I would be spelling out their full names to prevent misunderstandings. :) Was the chapter boring? Confusing? Well, I sincerely apologize. Please bear with me for a while. I haven't found any beta-reader as of this moment. Anyone willing? XD

Please review and/ add. They are highly appreciated. :)


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